Tony Crane

Emerging amid the Liverpool beat boom of the early 1960s, Tony Crane distinguished himself as a singer and guitarist whose Paul McCartney-inflected voice paired with an assertive yet melodic lead-guitar technique that evoked Gerry Marsden while displaying added refinement. In the Merseybeats he also demonstrated reliable songwriting skill, supplying engaging B-sides such as “Milkman” and worthwhile album tracks, though seldom chart contenders, whether working alone or with the band’s second bassist Johnny Gustafson across the latter’s eleven-month membership in 1964. Crane’s chief partner in the group remained founding member Billy Kinsley, who had preceded Gustafson and later reclaimed the role, the pair creating an effective vocal blend anchored by Crane’s lead. The two later teamed in the offshoot unit the Merseys, while Crane maintained the Merseybeats identity as an oldies attraction throughout the 1970s and subsequent years. From 1993 onward Crane and Kinsley have performed together again in the band, whose roster eventually featured Crane’s son Adrian on keyboards beginning in 2000.