R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

[Dorcus]

Legendary South Wales guitarist Paul Tonka Chapman has sadly passed away yesterday, on his 66th birthday. No age at all in this day and age.

Saw him first with local legends Kimla Taz when I was still at school. Then with the legendary (and should have been huge) Lone Star. After that wth UFO several times. A mighty fine and very under-rated guitarist was 'Tonka'.

Very sad news. Lone Star were brilliant and hugely underrated; my good friend Tony Smith was a band member.

[Mr Soul '68]

Very sad news. Lone Star were brilliant and hugely underrated; my good friend Tony Smith was a band member.

What's Tony up to now then? I have seen Kenny Driscoll play live a few times in the past decade or so. He still possess a damn fine set of pipes

[Lost Johnny]

Sadly, punk 'killed' Lone Star. Unfortunately for them they came out at the wrong time, their debut album being released in 1976, when the UK music press was slavishly groveling to all things punk. Had they formed and released their debut album two or three years earlier I am sure they would have been huge.

Spot on. Rock music was changing rapidly around 1976/77 and their sound just didn't fit in.

Had they emerged on the rock scene around 1973/74 things could have been so much different for them.

RIP Paul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6UFjlQq5bA

[cardiff55]

RIP. I'll give any two Lone Star albums a spin tomorrow.

[Dorcus]

What's Tony up to now then? I have seen Kenny Driscoll play live a few times in the past decade or so. He still possess a damn fine set of pipes

Tony's living in Ebbw Vale and he's still doing the circuits with an excellent band called Daggers which he fronts. They do a mean "Dazed and Confused" among others.

[Mr Soul '68]

Tony's living in Ebbw Vale and he's still doing the circuits with an excellent band called Daggers which he fronts. They do a mean "Dazed and Confused" among others.

Nice one, hope the band get back playing together after this damn virus is over!