Gary hails from Glendale, California, and started drumming when he was very young; forming his first group, The Beltones, while still in high school. He later joined The Standells, playing drums with them in several Hollywood clubs, including the Peppermint West. During this period Gary also stepped in on drums to play a few numbers with Elvis Presley when Presley's regular drummer was late arriving for a show.
While Gary was playing in LA with The Standells, his friend PJ Proby invited him to join his band on drums for a visit to England. Gary was bewitched by all that was happening in the UK at the time and, after a brief return to Hollywood, he was soon back in London with his friends John Maus and Scott Engel. The trio called themselves The Walker Brothers and produced a string of successful singles inluding the No 1 hits 'Make It Easy On Yourself' and 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'. At the height of The Walker Brothers' success Gary also hit the charts with two solo singles, 'You Don’t Love Me' and 'Twinkie-Lee'.
When The Walker Brothers separated, Gary formed his own group - Gary Walker and The Rain - with Londoner John Lawson (bass), and Liverpudlians Paul “Charlie” Crane (rhythm guitar & vocals) and Joey Molland (lead guitar & vocals). Their debut single was a cover of the Classics IV song 'Spooky'. The group enjoyed considerable success, particularly in Japan where their album 'Gary Walker & The Rain Album No 1' was rapidly released after hysterical fan frenzy during their Japanese concert tour. The original vinyl album is now extremely rare, and is considered by many to be something of a cult classic. Band member Joey Molland went on to achieve great success as a member of Badfinger.
In the seventies, Gary was involved in The Walker Brothers' reunion, which produced the top ten single 'No Regrets' and an album of the same name. The group released two subsequent albums, 'Lines' and 'Nite Flights', before parting again. Their final offering, 'Nite Flights', has become critically acclaimed, and cited by many, including Bowie, Eno, Almond and Bono, as inspirational.
After many years away from the music business, Gary enjoyed a sensational reception when he returned to the stage for a couple of performances in 2005. His set included his self-penned songs 'Den Haague' and 'Death Of Romance' from the 'Nite Flights' album - the first time that any songs from this album have been performed on stage. In the past few years, Gary not only met up with his friend PJ Proby for the first time in over 40 years, he was also reunited with former Rain members Joey Molland and John Lawson.
On 3 August 2009, Universal (Eclipse 9846790) released Gary Walker & The Rain Album No 1 on CD for the first time in the UK. The CD release features spectacular 24-bit remastering, bonus tracks, and is now available.
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