An embryonic line-up consisted of former Iona members Kenny Driscoll and Tony Smith, former Quest bassist Ray Jones, and drummer Jim Mathews.

The band took on the Lone Star moniker in early 1975 with bassist Pete Hurley and drummer Dixie Lee replacing Jones and Mathews, respectively, and the addition of Canadian keyboardist Rick Worsnop and guitarist Paul "Tonka" Chapman (a cousin of famed Welsh rocker Dave Edmunds), the latter whose credits included the bands Universe, Skid Row (where he had replaced Gary Moore), Kimla Taz, and most notably, UFO, in a short-lived 1974 dual guitar configuration alongside Michael Schenker.

[6] The band's profile would get a further boost with a BBC Radio 1 In Concert broadcast, recorded at the Paris Theatre in London on 23 September 1976, just before going on tour as openers for Mott in October 1976.

[3][5] That same month, the band undertook their most high-profile gig yet with an appearance at the Reading Festival on 26 August,[3] followed by a live broadcast on the BBC's Sight & Sound programme on 29 September, recorded at Queen Mary College in East London whilst sharing a bill with Canadian guitarist Pat Travers.

Upon his return the band began to prepare and demo material for a proposed third album but already on shaky ground and beset by management problems and tensions caused by Smith and Lee's interest in Scientology, Lone Star splintered in late 1978,[1][3] CBS having pulled the plug due in part to the rapidly changing musical climate, with the rise of punk rock leaving bands like Lone Star seeming old fashioned.

As well as Driscoll, Hiding Place included guitarist Tich Gwilym (ex-Kimla Taz), bassist Dave Dawson, drummer Rob Allen, and keyboardist Paul Abrahams.

Driscoll, Gwilym and Allen, along with former Iona/Quest bassist Ray Jones, also featured in the oddly named Tom the Lord but the band disintegrated in its formative stages despite interest from Epic Records.

Following Lone Star's demise, Tony Smith teamed up in Screen Idols with former the Rats trio – drummer Mike "Woody" Woodmansey (David Bowie, U-Boat), bassist Geoff Appleby (Hunter-Ronson Band), and guitarist Keith "Ched" Cheeseman – and vocalist Michelle Nieddu.

Following the departure of Nieddu and Cheeseman, Smith took over lead vocals on the band's third and final single, "Routine" b/w "Power Supply", issued in 1980, before Idols called it a day.

The guitarist next turned up in Los Angeles, California, alongside fellow Brit Kal Swan (ex-Tytan) where the two formed Lyon, quickly renamed Lion, although Smith was not part of the band's recorded output.

[3] Pete Hurley was part of Welsh roots rockers, the Red Hot Pokers,[3] all through the 1990s and joined Sloman in a project called Beat Poets in 1999.