[2] Formed in Salisbury in 1964, the band consisted of David Harman (Dave Dee), Trevor Ward-Davies (Dozy), John Dymond (Beaky), Michael Wilson (Mick) and Ian Amey (Tich).

Their novel name, zany stage act and lurid dress sense helped propel them to chart success with a string of hit singles penned by songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley including "Hold Tight!

As of 2024, the band continue to tour, being regular guests on UK based sixties nostalgia circuits, with a lineup featuring the original Beaky.

Apart from performing in the UK, they occasionally played in Hamburg (Star-Club, Top Ten Club) and in Cologne (Storyville).

Before leaving the Wiltshire police force, vocalist Dave Dee attended the scene of the motoring accident in which the American rock and roller Eddie Cochran was killed and Gene Vincent was injured in April 1960.

Ken Howard said that: "We changed their name to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, because they were their actual nicknames and because we wanted to stress their very distinct personalities in a climate which regarded bands as collectives".

[7] The distinctive name, coupled with well produced and catchy songs by Howard and Blaikley, quickly caught the UK public's imagination and their records started to sell in abundance.

"Tich" was shorter than his friends as a child, and "Dozy" supposedly originated from Trevor Ward-Davies mistakenly throwing away a bar of chocolate and trying to eat the wrapper.

[10] However, in October 1966, the British music magazine NME commented that dozens of US radio stations had banned the record, because the lyrics were considered too suggestive.

The group responded by recording a new version in London with a different set of words, which was rush-released in the US, as the original single was withdrawn from sale.

", which reached number one, and "The Legend of Xanadu", and hit the top thirty with "Break Out" — a song that was only released in North America.

In the US, the group failed to break out nationally, although they had regional successes, particularly in northeastern cities such as Cleveland, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany and Boston where both "Bend It" and "Hold Tight" gained considerable airplay and charted in the top ten on local radio stations.

"Zabadak" gained extensive US airplay during the winter of 1967–68, climbing to the top ten in several major US markets including Los Angeles, but despite pockets of radio exposure, the band never gained mass airplay in America; "Zabadak" was the band's only single to chart in the national Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No.

This is at least partially a result of both the band's US labels, Fontana and Imperial Records, failing to secure them a US tour or TV appearances.

These were in July 1966 ("Hold Tight" on Where the Action Is) and Piccadilly Palace on 26 August 1967 (performing their then-current single "Okay").

NME reported the previous month that Dave Dee was to play a motorbike gang leader in the forthcoming Marty Feldman film Every Home Should Have One.

Ian Amey and John Dymond continued performing with Trevor Ward-Davies and Pete Lucas in a band called, "Tracker".

[12] In 1979, Dave Dee produced, but didn't perform on, the band's single, "You've Got Me on the Run", which featured Beaky on lead vocals.

While initially a singer in the band, Hatchman eventually began playing drums and Beaky returned to guitar.

Dave Dee was a justice of the peace in Cheshire until he retired from the bench in 2008 due to his failing health.

In 2008, to celebrate 40 years since "The Legend of Xanadu" entering the music charts, a Blue plaque was placed in Salisbury.

[21] Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Pete Lucas (Mick II) died on 16 December 2023, his 73rd birthday.