I enjoyed last week’s look at some of history’s most forgotten artists — defined as those who enjoyed a great deal of success once upon a time but have almost no footprint today.

I covered five who had never appeared on the blog before, but the list (culled by writer Chris Dalla Riva for his Substack Can’t Get Much Higher) featured ten more 60s artists I’ve yet to feature. I’m going to highlight those acts over the next two weeks.

Tommy Roe is a rockabilly singer-songwriter who got his start in Atlanta but became an international success after spending several years in the UK. He landed two #1 singles on the Hot 100 with 1962’s ‘Sheila’ and 1969’s ‘Dizzy’ and four other top ten hits, making him one of the most successful of these “forgotten” artists.

Roe’s first hit, ‘Shiela,’ was a re-recording of a previously released single, this time with instrumentation and vocals that nodded to the late Buddy Holly. Roe wasn’t thrilled about the mimicry, but it earned him a #1 record.

His other #1, ‘Dizzy,’ had a completely different sound and was an even bigger hit, topping the charts in Canada and the UK as well.

Roe announced his retirement in 2018 at 76, but returned to the studio five years later to release his 15th album. Now 83, he continues to tour.