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The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, are an American rock and roll group. The Fireballs were particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s.

The Fireballs were formed in Raton, New Mexico. The Fireballs got their start as an instrumental group, featuring the very distinctive lead guitar of George Tomsco. They recorded at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico, where Buddy Holly had previously launched his career. They reached the Top 40 with the singles "Torquay" in 1959 and "Bulldog" in 1960, before adding singer/pianist Jimmy Gilmer to the group.

Billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, the group reached #1 on the Billboard chart with "Sugar Shack", which remained at that position for five weeks in 1963. The single also reached #1 on Billboard's R&B chart for one week in November of that year, but its run on that chart was cut short because Billboard ceased publishing an R&B chart from November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965. Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs then had another pop hit in 1964 with "Daisy Petal Pickin'", which reached #15 on the Hot 100.

During "Daisy Petal Pickin'"'s run on the charts, the British Invasion began with the first hits by The Beatles. The group had difficulty competing with the influx of British artists and did not reach the Top 40 again until 1968, with "Bottle of Wine," which was written by Tom Paxton. The Fireballs took "Bottle of Wine" to #9 on the Hot 100. Although Gilmer was still a member of the group, the band was billed simply as the Fireballs on that single.^[1]

The Fireballs continue to perform, as of 2006. Two previous group members have since passed away: drummer Doug Roberts in 1981 and original guitarist/vocalist Chuck Tharp in 2006.

1. ^ James, Gary. Gary James' Interview With George Tomsco Of The Fireballs. classicbands.com. Retrieved on November 22, 2006.

• Official site
• The Fireballs at Allmusic.com
• Jimmy Gilmer at Allmusic.com