Gary hails from Glendale, California, and started drumming when he was very young; forming his first group, The Beltones, while still in high school. He later joined The Standells, playing drums with them in several Hollywood clubs, including the Peppermint West. During this period Gary also stepped in on drums to play a few numbers with Elvis Presley when Presley's regular drummer was late arriving for a show.
While Gary was playing in LA with The Standells, his friend PJ Proby invited him to join his band on drums for a visit to England. Gary was bewitched by all that was happening in the UK at the time and, after a brief return to Hollywood, he was soon back in London with his friends John Maus and Scott Engel. The trio called themselves The Walker Brothers and produced a string of successful singles inluding the No 1 hits 'Make It Easy On Yourself' and 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'. At the height of The Walker Brothers' success Gary also hit the charts with two solo singles, 'You Don’t Love Me' and 'Twinkie-Lee'.
When The Walker Brothers separated, Gary formed his own group - Gary Walker and The Rain - with Londoner John Lawson (bass), and Liverpudlians Paul “Charlie†Crane (rhythm guitar & vocals) and Joey Molland (lead guitar & vocals). Their debut single was a cover of the Classics IV song 'Spooky'. The group enjoyed considerable success, particularly in Japan where their album 'Gary Walker & The Rain Album No 1' was rapidly released after hysterical fan frenzy during their Japanese concert tour. The original vinyl album is now extremely rare, and is considered by many to be something of a cult classic. Band member Joey Molland went on to achieve great success as a member of Badfinger.
In the seventies, Gary was involved in The Walker Brothers' reunion, which produced the top ten single 'No Regrets' and an album of the same name. The group released two subsequent albums, 'Lines' and 'Nite Flights', before parting again. Their final offering, 'Nite Flights', has become critically acclaimed, and cited by many, including Bowie, Eno, Almond and Bono, as inspirational.
After many years away from the music business, Gary enjoyed a sensational reception when he returned to the stage for a couple of performances in 2005. His set included his self-penned songs 'Den Haague' and 'Death Of Romance' from the 'Nite Flights' album - the first time that any songs from this album have been performed on stage. In 2006, Gary not only met up with his friend PJ Proby for the first time in over 40 years, but he was also reunited with former Rain member Joey Molland.
On 28 February 2007, Universal Japan released Gary Walker & The Rain Album No 1 on CD for the first time (catalogue number: UICY-93236). The special limited edition release features spectacular 24-bit remastering, and the packaging faithfully reproduces the orginal album artwork.
On 5 April 2007 Gary enjoyed an emotional (and fun!) reunion with former Rain bassist John Lawson. They lost contact many years ago, and the long search to find each other finally ended when John's family found Gary here on MySpace. Gary is currently writing songs for a new album, and hopes to be working with John Lawson and Joey Molland again soon.
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