Tony Crane was one of the more talented singers and guitarists to emerge from the early-'60s Liverpool beat boom, with a voice reminiscent of Paul McCartney and an aggressive yet lyrical approach to his lead guitar playing, which recalled the work of Gerry Marsden with a little more delicacy. He was also a fair songwriter in the Merseybeats, capable of furnishing catchy B-sides (Milkman) and album tracks, if not hit material, either on his own or in partnership with the group's second bass player, Johnny Gustafson, during the latter's 11-month tenure with the group during 1964. Crane's main associate within the group, however, was co-founder Billy Kinsley, who both preceded and succeeded Gustafson -- the two made a great vocal combination around Crane's lead singing. He and Kinsley were later partnered together in the offshoot group the Merseys, and Crane kept the Merseybeats name alive throughout the 1970s and beyond as an oldies act. From 1993 onward, he and Kinsley have been reunited in the group, whose lineup also came to include Crane's son Adrian on keyboards from 2000 onward. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi