Tommy Roe-Sheila

[IMMusicRulz]

While it seems as though Sheila is a blatant Buddy Holly rip-off, it turns out that it was the first of many hit singles for rock and roll legend Tommy Roe. The pounding acoustic guitar and pungent drumming was a sign that the song Sheila was to climb to #1 on the charts in late 1962. It would be Tommy Roe's first Top 40 entry, too: Sweet Pea, Hooray For Hazel and It's Now Winters Day also reached the Top 40 in 1968, and Roe would top the charts a final time with Dizzy in 1968.

Roe faded into obscurity by the late Seventies, but he reinvented himself as a country singer in the Eighties and had several chart topping country songs throughout the decade, before retiring in 2012.

I found out about the song Sheila from it being featured on a various artists compilation I bought when I first started buying records about a decade ago. That's the thing about old songs--they constantly get discovered by young people like me. And they bring back a lot of good memories.
If you guys like Tommy Roe please let me know.

 

[John Stephen]

When I was a kid growing up in the 1960s, Tommy Roe was all over the radio. I remember how much my sister loved Sweet Pea. Fun to hear that younger folks are discovering him.

 

[Chester P Squier]

I really liked "Sheila", and Roe had a few other hits that followed it, like "Everybody," but that one and the others from that year or two have fallen into obscurity. I didn't particularly care his his later bubblegum hits, but the early ones were pretty good.

 

[brookdalebill]

When I was a kid growing up in the 1960s, Tommy Roe was all over the radio. I remember how much my sister loved Sweet Pea. Fun to hear that younger folks are discovering him.

Tommy Roe’s back up band the Roeman’s, was briefly home to the great Allman Brothers bass player, Berry Oakley.

I loved Dizzy, it was one of the first 45RPM singles I ever bought.

 

[Fiesta Red]

We had on of those old “Various Artists Truck Stop Greatest Hits” 8-track tapes with a bunch of off-the-wall tracks from the 50’s and 60’s by famous/semi-famous artists…that tape influenced how I approach music a lot.

“Sheila” by Tommy Roe was on it…the sequel song to “Tequila” by the Champs—aptly entitled “Too Much Tequila” (also by the Champs) was on it…Jerry Lee Lewis’ live version of “Hound Dog”…some Link Ray-type instrumental by a Link Ray-type band that I can’t remember…even a Ray Steven’s novelty hit…

Always takes me back to dad’s ‘72 Chevy truck.

 

[charlie chitlin]

I seem to remember him billing himself "Tommy Roe and The Crickets."
I'm pretty sure none of Buddy's Crickets were with him.
I know somebody who brought this up around some early rockers and a couple original Crickets and not only did they refuse to talk about it, they almost stopped talking to HIM!

 

[John Stephen]

Tommy Roe’s back up band the Roeman’s, was briefly home to the great Allman Brothers bass player, Berry Oakley...

Wow, I had no idea. From Tommy Roe to the Allman Brothers! Quite a transformation.

 

[Wally]

It is obvious that Roe had listened to Buddy Holly and copied every vocal trick he could…as best he could. I much prefer Holly.

 

[charlie chitlin]

I much prefer Holly.

You are musically AND geographically predisposed to do so.

 

[GibbyTwin]

I remember a 45 of Tommy Roe back in the 60s - Don't Cry Donna with Gonna Take a Chance on the flip side.
I don't remember how I came to have it as I'm sure I didn't buy it. If was was inclined to, I could probably go through the box of 45s and find it as I still have every record I ever owned.
I'm not inclined to.