The Fireballs were formed in Raton, New Mexico, in 1957 and got their start as an instrumental group featuring the distinctive lead guitar of George Tomsco.

[1] According to group founders Tomsco and Lark, they took their name after their standing ovation performance of Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire", at the Raton High School PTA talent contest in New Mexico, U.S.

[2] Tharp, Budd, and Trammell left the group in the early 1960s, but the Fireballs added Doug Roberts on drums, plus Petty Studio singer Jimmy Gilmer (born September 15, 1940, in Chicago and raised in Amarillo, Texas) to the group.

[2] Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs then had another pop hit in 1964 with a similar-sounding "Daisy Petal Pickin'", which reached No.

During the run of "Daisy Petal Pickin'" 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 1967, with "Bottle of Wine", which was written by Tom Paxton.

[8] After suffering from Alzheimer's for two years, Jimmy Gilmer died at the age of 83 in Amarillo, on September 7, 2024, eight days before his 84th birthday.