The Roemans
A 1960's Florida Garage Band

The Roemans Biography

1964 was a great year for five young musicians who called themselves "Lanny and the Impressions". They made a big impression on Paul Cochran and Allan Diggs, 2 Florida promoters who agreed to take over management of the band.

The band packed the halls wherever they appeared, and this fact soon came to the attention of Felton Jarvis, A & R man for ABC-Paramount Records in Nashville and he signed the group to a recording contract. Tommy Roe also got the word and auditioned the boys, liked what he heard, and signed them to tour the American Midwest with him in September of 1964. Someone suggested that the band change its name to "Roemans" in honor of Tommy Roe, hence the origin of that name.

The Midwestern tour was a huge success, so the Roemans toured the Southeast with Tommy Roe in October and went back to the Midwest in December. In January of 1965 they went to Great Britain and toured with Tommy Roe, Cilla Black, P.J. Proby, Sounds Incorporated, the Fourmost, the Remo Four, and Tommy Quickly, all of which, except Provy, were managed by Brian Epstein.

ABC-Paramount released the first Roemans single, "Don't" just before the British trip and it became a Top Ten item on Florida radio stations. The tour itself brought star status to the Roemans. To help thing along a little, their recording with Tommy Roe, "Diane From Manchester Square," was released in England on the day of their arrival. They were stoppers wherever they went, were invited to stay over an extra week in Britain to do TV Shows on their own and invited to return later in the year for another tour.

What other Florida Garage Band of the 1960's can match their experience of having toured America from Florida through the Dakotas, of having thrilled audiences throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, of having shared the spotlight and the applause with such stars as Tommy Roe, the Beach Boys, Cilla Black, Peter and Gordon, the Animals, the Rolling Stones, P.J. Provy, Roy Orbison, Tom Jones, Manfred Mann, Brenda Lee, Dell Shannon, Jay and the Americans, the Fourmost, the Remo 4, Tommy Quickly, Sounds Incorporated, and more?

45's by The Roemans

  1. Your Friend / Give Me A Chance (ABC Paramount 10583) 1964
  2. Miserlou / Don't (ABC Paramount 10671) 1965
  3. Universal Soldier /Lost Little Girlr (ABC Paramount 10723) 1965
  4. Listen To Me / You Make Me Feel Good (ABC Paramount 10757) 1965
  5. When The Sun Shines In The Mornin' / Love (That's All I Want) (ABC Paramount 10814) 1966
  6. All The Good Things / Pleasing You Pleases Me (ABC Paramount 10871) 1966

Tommy Roe Songs, backed by the Roemans

Tommy Roe and The Roemans at the Kennedy Airport before they left for their three week tour in England and Scotland.
The photo of Tommy Roe and The Roemans was from the Feb 06, 1965 issue of Billboard


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