ABSTRACT

Joe Flannery's singing talents briefly led him to a vocalist position with the famous Joe Loss Orchestra in the mid-1950s, however when an accident impaired his vocal chords, he subsequently concentrated on retailing and, as a sideline, artist management. Following the live success of his brother Lee Curtis in Germany in 1963, Joe moved to Hamburg, accepting the offer from Manfred Weissleder to become a freelance booking agent for the new Star Club, by then one of the leading popular music venues in Europe. The Star Club had a large capacity, with seating for over one thousand, and Brian and Joe had already viewed the new club at close quarters. Joe remembers getting the impression that there was little at home to inspire him and that he preferred the warmth of Gardner Road. Oral reminiscences the first-hand memories of people interviewed by a historian have been increasingly important for history writing since the 1960s.