Rich history of the Poor Man’s Band
A band from Ayr are defying time – by still rocking half a century along the road.
John Corrigan and Gary Steel formed ‘ The Poor Man’s Band’ while still at school in 1969.
And they can pinpoint September 29 as the day the band will turn 50.
John and Gary lived two doors apart in Ayr and have been friends since 1962.
They developed a passion for rock & roll, loved the Rolling Stones and were avid members of the Saturday Odeon Club in Ayr, which inspired them to sing along.
Their pal Euan Pyper said: “Rehearsing progressed from either of their parent’s houses, to a garage and then at the Minishant Church Hall.
“John studied at Carrick Academy before leaving for University in 1972 whilst Gary, a couple of years older, studied at Ayr Academy and left for Edinburgh University in 1970.
“But the Poor Man’s Band continues to this day.”
The pair are now rocking the Algarve in Portugal, where they both now live, doing charity gigs.
Both became very successful in business with John ending up as Head of Operations for Pernod Ricard in Paris and Gary as a Main Board Director of ABB in Switzerland.
Euan added: “The Poor Man’s Band has enjoyed a turnover of musicians, mainly due to changes in career locations.
“On the 29th, some are returning to celebrate the anniversary in the Algarve.
“The band continues from strength to strength, with a major performance last year at the famous Gashouder in Amsterdam.”
While the band strived for gigs in its early days to buy equipment, it now performs solely for charity, with all proceeds benefiting children’s homes, Alzheimer’s, oncology and a volunteer fire brigade in the Algarve.
Rehearsing progressed from either of their parent’s houses, to a garage