Eddie CONNORS

BIOGRAPHY:

Vocalist who was born Edward O'Connor in 1937, and grew up in the Howgate tenements. He started working in Mungal Foundry before spending three years in the army as a PT instructor, where he became an athlete and boxing champ. Upon returing to the local area he worked the lights at the Roxy Theatre, before forming his own trio. Connors played with local dance groups before joining the Johnny Kildare Orchestra (with whom he appeared in Radio Luxembourg).
Connors formed a beat group, The Eddie Connors Combo, at the start of 1964, recruiting Pete McFerner (piano), Andy Scott (saxophone) & Dick Burgoyne (drums), all of whom had played in Doak's band, along with Paul Serafini (bass, ex-Young Ones) & Ronnie Brooks (guitar, ex-Roadrunners), six hours before entering and winning a local beat group competition. Serafini later joined The Roadrunners, whilst Burgoyne rejoined Connors in the Eddie Connors Trio.
In 1971 Connors entered, and won for five weeks in a row, Opportunity Knocks. By then Connors was playing with his own act, The Eddie Connors Trio, who played locally in the Late-1960's & 1970's, and featured Dick Burgoyne (drums), Eric Fowler (bass, ex-Sonics) & Melvin Fowler (guitar, ex-Sonics) in his band. In 1969 he had a piano player called Peter Eden. Further TV appearances followed, including "Thingummyjig", and Connors also travelled the world on cruise ships as an entertainer. After some time living in Stockton-Upon-Tees, Connors returned to the area in 2004, and died in July 2008.
One of his sons, Eddie O'Connor became a singer in his own right.