|
The Regency Showband was formed from the original
members of The Olympics and toured the length and breadth of the
country for a further nine years. The group had many personnel
changes during their duration and even briefly featured a young Van
Morrison on saxophone. The Regency played support to many of the
touring bands that came to Belfast including The Tremoloes, The
Kinks, Cat Stevens and Marmalade. By 1969 Harry Baird had decided to
give up the hectic life of a touring musician and to concentrate on
both his family life and his trade as an electrician. His
bass-playing skills were still much in demand and he returned to
permanent residency at The Talk of the Town nightclub with the in
house band, The Roly Stewart All Stars backing the likes of Shirley
Bassey, Frankie Vaughan and Guy Mitchell.
Throughout Harry's career of over ten years as
both a musician and an electrician he had developed a keen interest
in the workings and repair of his on stage equipment of amplifiers
and speakers leading him to take the plunge in 1971 and give up his
day job and open a music shop both for retail and short time hire -
the beginning of Baird Sound Systems Ltd.
Harry didn't hang up his bass completely though
and continued to perform on the local cabaret circuit with Barry
Brent and the Jetset. In 1973 the band featured on national TV
appearing on Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks show, the X Factor of
its day!
thanks to Harry Baird of
https://www.bairdsoundsystems.com |
