The Sundowners

The Sundowners

The Sundowners is a group name used by several different acts. One version is a country-western trio from Chicago that is active from 1959 to 1989 and includes guitarist Don Walls, guitarist Bob Boyd and bassist Curt Delaney. It is noted for a large repertoire, with claims that it knows more than 15,000 songs and plays about 7,000 songs a year, and it promotes a retrospective CD titled Bloodshot Revival.

Other acts using the name

Another The Sundowners is an early collaboration between Will Oldham and Bill Callahan, and this side project also involves Edith Frost. The name is also used by a 1960s sunshine pop group, which is notable for the compilation of its song “Always You”.

Other acts called The Sundowners include an early band led by Tom Petty, a New Zealand group that forms in Auckland around 1960 and goes through many lineup changes, a Liverpool band with James Skelly of The Coral on vocals in early demos, and a Minneapolis DIY punk band on Dirt Cult Records.

New Zealand lineup

The Auckland group includes Sonny Day on rhythm guitar, Bob Wynyard on lead guitar, Teddy Toi on bass, Max Purdy on piano, Lloyd Tangaio on saxophone, and Graeme “Trixie” Willoughby and Lionel Kennedy on drums. Long-time members are Sonny Day, Bob Wynyard, Teddy Toi, Max Purdy, Lloyd Tangaio, Graeme “Trixie” Willoughby and Lionel Kennedy.