Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2013 | Page 109

ENTERTAINMENT

Graham (right) pictured with Gene Vincent 1971

Graham (right) and his wife pictured with Screaming Lord Sutch and guest 1994

Lee Lewis and Billy Haley and The
Comets – even going for a drink down
the ‘local’ with The Comets.
“Eventually arguments started
between members of the Houseshakers,
so we broke up, and I set up a new
group, The Hellraisers for a couple
of years. But I wanted to split up and
form my own band, and that was when
Matchbox got wind of it. They were
looking for a new lead singer, and I
got the job,” said Graham.
Matchbox’s popularity began to
grow rapidly and in 1978 they were
offered a tour with Carl Perkins and
Bo Diddley, which put them firmly on
the music map. It even led to Perkins
arranging for them to be on the
‘Country Music Festival’ tour with the
likes of Don Everly and Johnny Cash.
Graham continued: “I told Carl I
would love to meet Johnny Cash, and
one night Carl told me to go to his
dressing room, and take a camera.
I was in there talking to Carl; there
was a knock on the door; I was told
to open it, and there stood Johnny
Cash. Carl introduced us; I got his
autograph, and Carl took a photo of
us together – that was it, but I’ll never
forget it!”
As Matchbox’s reputation grew,
they were approached by several
record companies before signing a

five-year deal with Magnet Records.
They recorded ‘Rockabilly Rebel’ in
1979, which became the most popular
number with Capital Gold radio
listeners, and that led to an appearance
on Noel Edmonds’ Multi-Colour
Swap Shop. But before they left the
BBC studios they were invited back
the following day because ‘Rockabilly
Rebel’ had charted and they were to
appear on Top of the Pops. It was
the first of a dozen Top of the Pops
appearances for Matchbox.
Although ‘Rockabilly Rebel’ only
peaked at No14 in the British charts,
it made the top 10 across Europe and
hit top spot in Australia. Their biggest
UK hit ‘When You Ask About Love’
reached No4, and other hits included
‘Midnite Dynamos’ and ‘Over the
Rainbow’. Their chart success even
brought a tour of the United States,
one of the venues being Gilley’s Club
in Pasadena, used as a set in the John
Travolta film ‘Urban Cowboy’.
A five-week tour to Australia
followed, where they appeared on a
TV show with John Travolta. Graham
reflects: “It was a great tour, and
on the way back we did two gigs in
Germany before we could go home to
sleep.”
Shortly after a two-week recording
trip to Japan, ‘Over the Rainbow’

was released and was tipped to be the
No1 Christmas hit in 1980 – until
John Lennon was murdered and the
charts were swamped by songs of the
ex-Beatle.
By 1985 Graham was the only
original band member, and resigned.
He toured as a solo artist, playing
alongside many stars of the era,
including Gene Vincent’s former
backing group, The Blue Caps, and
even took time out to visit Gene’s
grave just outside Los Angeles.
When Matchbox re-formed in
1995, Graham linked up again with
co-founders Jimmy Redhead and Fred
Poke, and they are still together, along
with Steve Bloomfield and Gordon
Scott.
Having played at the Ponda Rosa Inn
and the original Lakeside Inn with
Matchbox back in 1980, Graham,
his wife Caroline, and their children
Chrystal and Vincent moved to the
Island permanently in July 2001 after
several holiday visits. And since their
recent Island appearance at ‘Jack Up
the 80s’ Matchbox have been back
touring in Europe, and more tour
dates are already in the diary, with
Graham still enjoying every minute.

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