On November 27, 2005, Tony Meehan, original drummer with British instrumental band and Cliff Richard backing group, The Shadows (with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch) died aged 62 from head injuries sustained in a fall at his London flat in Maida Vale. 

Had the 1963 UK No.1 single 'Foot Tapper' plus 28 other UK Top 40 singles. Left The Shadows in 1961 to work as a session drummer with Joe Meek. Also had the UK No.1 hit ‘Diamonds’ with Jet Harris. Meehan briefly played with The Shadows some years later when his replacement, Brian Bennett, was in hospital.

Meehan left the Shadows in October 1961 to work as an arranger/producer and session drummer for Joe Meek and from early 1962 at Decca Records. He teamed again with Harris (who had also left the Shadows and moved to Decca) and as a duo had success with the instrumental "Diamonds" which also included Jimmy Page on acoustic rhythm guitar. "Diamonds" was a number one hit in the UK. Harris and Meehan had two further hit singles together – "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Applejack".

On 1 January 1962, the Beatles were auditioned at Decca by Meehan, performing a selection of covers they had performed in various clubs over the years, interspersed with three Lennon–McCartney originals. The Beatles later found out that their manager Brian Epstein had paid Meehan to produce the recordings made that day in order for the Beatles to retain ownership of the tapes. Decca rejected the Beatles choosing the Tremeloes, who auditioned the same day as the Beatles.

Meehan was professionally nicknamed "The Baron" by his many admirers and friends within the British pop/rock music industry. He is reckoned to have influenced many thousands of teenage boys and adolescents to take up music as a career including Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac as a result of his iconic film performance in Cliff Richard's film The Young Ones.

Meehan quit the music industry in the 1990s for a major career change as a psychologist, as a result of a lifelong hobby/interest. He worked in London at a local college lecturing in psychology until his death.

Ref: John Einarson