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	Tony Hicks 1948 - 2006
	The LiNK magazine, September edition 2006 Tony Hicks, one the greatest musicians this area has known, died in Sydney on Saturday 12th August 2006 He had set up his drum kit and was waiting to get up on stage when he had a brain haemorrhage. The venue was at one of his favourite places in Australia. 16 years old, Tony got the call in Middlesbrough from Eric Delaney - would he join as "band boy" or roadie as they're now known. Sax player Ron Aspery had recommended him. "I knew Ronnie Aspery in them days, and the job came up and he said, "Oh, get Hicksy to do it". Of course I was only sixteen - I didn't have a driving licence, but I didn't tell Eric. And he didn't ask. He just said, "Here's the keys to the van." Great. The first job was in Margate. Well I'd heard of it, Margate ….. head south - keep your eyes open, that sort of thing". Soon Tony was playing percussion and drums in the Delaney band. He joined Ron Aspery and Colin Hodgkinson whilst they were in the house band at the Starlight in Redcar. The legendary Back Door was formed and Brian Jones asked them to become resident at Blakey. A self-produced album lead to a season with Chick Corea at Ronnie' Scotts. Warners signed Back Door and U.S. and European tours followed, sharing the bill with Miles Davis, Sly and the Family Stone and so on. Tony subsequently worked with Andy Frazer from Free on a recording project and over the years contributed to both live and recorded work with, amongst a whole range of others, Alexis Korner, Dudu Pukwana and Assegai, Chris Rea, Issac Guillory, Dave MacRae's Pacific Eardrum, Georgie Fame, Paul Butterfield, and the English Jazz Quartet. Tony was a unique melodic drummer with a rare light touch. He always maintained that the role of the drummer was to make the front line sound good and he did so in rare style. Recently, wanting to further explore melody and harmonics, he took up playing the accordeon. This can be heard on the recent Back Door album "Askin' the Way". The final track "Hammerman", written by Tony, is a fitting farewell. Our thoughts are with his dad Bill, and Pam, and his son Will and daughter Daisy. Peter Bell
	BBC Radio Cleveland "Gobstopper" Wednesday 16th August 2006 That was "Back Door by "Back Door" and I played it as a tribute to the great Tony Hicks, drummer with the band. Tony died recently in Sydney, Australia. Back Door were the jazz fusion band of the seventies and also featured Ron Apspery on sax, who we interviewed once here on 'Gobstopper' and Colin Hodgkinson, bass. I had the great privilege to see Back Door at the Lion, Blakey in March 2003 when they launched a new album "Askin' the Way". They had two lifelong Boro fans in Ron and Tony. Tony Hicks will be very sorely missed and our condolences go out to all his family and friends. Bob Fischer
	Evening Gazette Saturday 19th August 2006 Tributes have been paid to "one of the greatest musicians to have emerged from Teesside". Drummer Tony Hicks, a founder member of the jazz-rock trio Back Door, died in Australia while doing what he loved best - playing the drums. The 58 year old, who emigrated to Australia in the 70s, but would still get up in the middle of the night to listen to Boro match commentaries, was diagnosed with lung cancer in March. But the Middlesbrough born musician carried on playing until his final moments, when he suffered a brain haemorrhage while preparing to go on stage in Sydney on August 12th. His father, William Hicks, 80, of Marton, said "Music was his life. He said if he was going to go, he wanted to go while he was playing." Tributes to Tony have poured in from the music industry. Pete Bell, a personal friend, and member of Cultural Foundation who worked with Back Door, releasing their recent album "Askin' the Way", said "There is no doubt that Tony was one of the greatest musicians to have come out of Teesside. He was a unique melodic drummer with a rare light touch". Tony got his break into the music industry aged just 16 when he left school and went on the road with Eric Delaney's band. But it was in the early 70's in the Starlight Club in Redcar that he met Colin Hodgkinson (bass, vocals) and Ron Aspery (saxes, keyboards) and formed Back Door. Originally the house band of the Lion Inn, at Blakey Ridge - the highest point of the North York Moors - Back Door's debut album was one of the most talked about albums of of its era. Recorded as a keepsake for fans who attended their gigs, the album was picked up by Warner Brothers and was immediately branded album of the year by NME. The were invited to play Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with Chick Corea. People travelled from all over the north to see their gigs and artists including Sting, Chris Rea, Sandie Shaw and Neil Sedaka all dropped in to visit. The band called it a day in 1976 and Tony moved to Australia and pursued a successful career as a drummer with artists such as Chris Rea. In 1986 Back Door got together for a short reunion tour and in 2003 released a new album. Tony leaves behind his two children William, 20, and Daisy, who has just released an album in Australia. Website www.cultfound.org carries a full interview with Tony. Julie Martin
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