VINCE TAYLOR, born Brian Maurice Holden, youngest of five children, was born on July 14th 1939 in the london Suburbs, just a few weeks before the second world war was declared. Around 1946, considering the economical situation and destitution of the Holdens, this pushed them to take the decision to immigrate to the United States of America..It took them months to sell all of their personnal belongings, furnisher and souvenirs. And one morning at Liverpool docks, they got on board a liner with hundreds of other people. Mr Holden for the occasion of this long and special journey offered a private cabin for his family.

They set up home in New Jersey, where they lived in a small house with a tiny garden. Brian's Dad worked in a coal mine several kilometers from the family home. Through worry of not being accepted by locals, his mum and his sister spent all of their spare time decorating the house in the same way as the neighbours. Every morning at 8' o'clock Brian took the bus to school and met up with his new American school friends, who liked him alot. Whilst out of school Brian loved sport, and became especially good at swimming.

Around 1955, his sister announced that she was to be wed, to Joe Singer, It was then decided that the whole family would move to California.

Joe Singer, helps for most of the Holden's problems, and Brian soon saw the gates of the Hollywood High school open up for him.Brian took lesson concerning radio and weather reports. Whilst studying he also took flying lessons and was finally awarded with his pilots license.

Rock music of those such as Bill Haley and Elvis was very present when Brian turned 18. And he began to sing wherever he could, at parties with friends, school feast and amateur gigs, anything goes. He's good looking, got a great voice and although he's not yet making a living by his music, for him the most important is to be able to sing.

The Rock completely overrule him, and backed by a local band, starts to play for the benefit of the American Legion as well as a few nightclubs along Zummah Beach.

Joe Singer , as well as being his brother-in-law, also became, in a way, his manager. Joe was to go to London for business reasons and had asked Brian to join him and check out the London music scene . After several days wondering around the streets of London trying to find a Club where he could listen to this 'rock music', already successful in the states. He met a lad called Paul Taylor who gave him an address of a coffee-bar in Old Campton Street where Tommy Steele was playing. Brian got to know Tommy very quickly and thanks to him and their various musical points in common, Brian began to met several Rock amateurs who were always in this bar called "The Coffee 2 i's". The Juke box pumped out all day long records of Bully Holly, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent or Eddie Cochran.

Buddy Holly

Fats Domino

Eddie Cochran

Gene Vincent

Tommy Steele

photo x...

One night, Brian took Joe Singer for the occasion, to the ' 2.i's bar '. Joe was overwelmed by the availability and enthusiasm of these new musician friends. But, Brian had to show what he was worth, so he started up his own band. In doing this he met drummer Tony Meehan (futur Shadows) and bass player Tex Makins. Two musicians who already had a great musical experience and were willing to spend the time needed to put together all the biggest rock hits at the time.

The musicians, always smartly dressed, were called The Play-Boys. As for Joe, he was firm on one point 'Brian Holden' was not a very good stage name for a rock singer. They had to urgently find another name. Whilst looking at a packet of Pall Mall cigarettes, upon which is written 'In hoc Vinces' he suddenly decided, 'Your first name will be Vince', he said. "Vince what ? " replied Brian. He liked very much the movies actor Robert Taylor 'that's it,
Vince Taylor and the Play-Boys were born.

Brian Bennett (drs) -Brian Locking (ctb) -Tony Harvey(gt) -Tony Sheridan( gt) photo x ...

The band, The Play-Boys often played together although at first it was difficult to organise the musicians. Succeeding one another at the 2.i's and other shows : Brian 'Licorice' Locking and Brian Bennett (futur Shadows) Tony Sheridan,
Joe Moretti,Tony Sheridan and of course Bobbie 'Clarke'Woodman drummer who stayed very loyal thoughout the most glorious part of his career.

The final formation of The Play-Boys is : bobbie Clarke (drums) John Vance (bass), Alain Le Claire (piano), Tony Harvey (guitar), who changed on an off with Bob Steel. Between galas and Jack Good (ABC) television shows, 'Oh Boy' or 'Wham', Vince is every night on stage testing his show right down to the last detail, putting the finishing touches to what would make him,n a few years later, the stage animal he was.

Vince tells that one day when he was walking through the streets of London, he stopped dead in front of a winter sports shop window, a model dressed in black leather from head to toe, caught his eye. He bought the whole kit and wore it the same night on stage, increasing the reactions and enthusiasm of the public. The journalists and photographers followed very closely this young lad who had caught their eye, photos and newspaper articles of the band started to appear. But the teddy and motorcycle boys who we tend to compare with the english thugs see in Vince their driving force, their muse, and more and more people start going to his concerts.

Between the fights and other problems which occured at his concerts and the bad press which followed straight after, they would be, concerts's producers to have doubt about him.

His first recording proposition came from Parlophone-Odeon, with who he recorded, 'I Like Love' and 'Right Behind You Baby'. This record was released in 1958 but the name The Play-Boys was not mentioned. Followed several months after by a second 45 with 'Pledgin My Love' on side A and the mythical .'Brand New Cadillac' composed by him on the B side (?). This record reached number 19 in the English top 20. Parlophone weren't very happy with the results of these two records and decided to break the contract. Vince then moved to Palette Records Ltd and recorded the next record 'I'll Be Your Hero' and the famous 'Jet Black Machine' were released on August 19th 1960. It stayed in the charts some 9 weeks and finally reached the top 15. The youngsters at the time, somewhat under the influence of the media were guided to listen to a more 'cleaner' rock, that of Cliff Richard and his band The Shadows, who, were becoming more and more well known.

Vince had a very unstable caracter and this caused several arguements in the band, approuved by ruptures shortly followed by reconciliations. The band in the meantime looked for other people to play with, ex. Duffy Power. The Play-Boys lead by Bobbie Woodman , changed name and soon became the 'Bobbie Woodman Noise'. They were contacted to play at the prestigious Olympia in Paris on July 7th and 8th 1961. At the top of the bill was Wee Willie Harris . The other artists were Duffy Power, Dave Sampson, Vince Eager, and Nero and the Gladiators a band in which played Tony Harvey as soloïst. Despite what had happened, Vince was still friends with the band and asked, considering that he had never been to France, if he come to Paris with his friends and if necessary he would sing for free.

It was whilst registering Vince's passport for France that Bobbie found that Vince was not actually american as he pretended to be but english, like the rest of the band.

Duffy Power was wandering around Paris whilst the sound check was taking place. Thinking that 'our mate' Vince will do it to help us out. Vince dressed up for the occasion in his black leather gear and added a chain around his neck with a Joan of Arc medallion. Which he had bought at Calais on their arrival in France, and already had an idea of who he would give it to once back in England.

The sound check and the effect that Vince had given, even the band were amazed and so the organisers decided straightaway to put Vince as top of the Bill for both shows, much to despair of Duffy Power, who I think no doubt showed up for his next soundcheck.

From now on, after these two nights, things went quickly for Vince Taylor. Eddie Barclay had been contacted by Bruno Coquatrix about Vince's performance (and his band who became once again the Play-Boys). And by invention of Jean Fernandez proposed a 6 years contract for Vince. It was of course the famous photo sessions with well-known Herman Leonard that started to appear on all the sleeves of the Barclay records, where we can see Tony Harvey on guitar where as it was Bob Steele who had played on first recording.

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