The Dallas Boys were a five-piece vocal group from Leicester, England who were regular performers on British television in the 1950s and 1960s. They have been described as "Britain's first boy band".
History The group formed in Leicester and comprised four former pupils of Moat Boys School (Joe Smith, Stan Jones, Bob Wragg, and Leon Fisk) and London-born Nicky Clarke."'First boy band' singer Joe dies", Leicester Mercury, 28 July 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2013 After winning a Butlins talent content, they became a fixture on the TV show Six-Five Special, becoming household names.Eder, Bruce "The Dallas Boys Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 8 September 2013 They went on to be regular performers on Oh Boy! in the late 1950s.Corner, John (1990) Popular television in Britain: Studies in Cultural History, BFI Publishing, , p. 97Frame, Pete (1999) Pete Frame's Rockin' Around Britain: Rock'n'roll Landmarks of the UK and Ireland, Omnibus Press, , p. 71
The group continued to perform through the 1960s, and appeared on other British TV shows such as Val Parnell's Startime, Thank Your Lucky Stars, All That Jazz, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Comedy Bandbox, Frost on Sunday, and Sez Les, and on US television on Showtime."Your TV Scout", TimesDaily, 9 July 1968, p. 10"'Showtime' Guests Led by Nureyev", Schenectady Gazette, 6 July 1968, p. 7. Retrieved 8 September 2013 They split up in the early 1970s, but reunited in 1988 to perform at fellow Oh Boy! star Cliff Richard's concert celebrating thirty years in the entertainment business in 1989, and continued to perform around the UK.
They have been described as "Britain's first boy band"."Leicester's the Best... Musically!", BBC, 23 April 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2013
Nicky Clarke died in March 2010, aged 77. Joe Smith died in 2012, aged 78. Bob Wragg died in 2019 as a result of oesophageal cancer, at the age of 85.
Stan Jones passed away in October 2025.
Discography Albums Five Alive-O (1974) The Dallas Boys Doing Their Own Thing! (A Souvenir Album) (1980) Love Is a Many Splendoured Thing (1983)
Singles "He Won't Love You (Like I Do)" (1967) "I Can't Fool My Heart" (1968)
References