Brian Poole (born 3 November 1941)is a singer and performer. Poole was the lead singer of 1960s Rock 'n' Roll band the Tremeloes (1957–1962) then Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (1962–1967). He was brought up in the East End of London and grew up in Barking, East London. He attended Barking Park Modern Secondary School and Barking Abbey Grammar School. 　　Brian Poole met Alan Blakley and Alan Howard, at Park Modern Secondary School. In 1956, heavily influenced by their love of Rock 'n' Roll music, they decided to form a band. The original line-up consisted of Brian Poole (vocals, guitar), Alan Blakley (guitar), Alan Howard (bass) and Graham Scott (guitar). While still in their teens the band members met and befriended Dave Munden, who shared a love and passion for rock 'n’ roll. A strong bond was formed which saw Munden join the band on the drums in 1957. A swift change of tactics saw Blakley switch to guitar, which Brian Poole relinquished to take the title of lead vocalist and front the band. 　　In the early years the Tremeloes were inspired by Buddy Holly & the Crickets and predominantly covered their songs. They quickly gained local fame by playing at small venues in the area, during that time their singing style developed and flourished. With Brian Poole's Buddy-style glasses and the band's unique style of harmony the Tremeloes soon developed a wide fan base and following. This grew until they became one of the top dance hall attractions across Great Britain. 　　The Tremeloes auditioned for a recording contract with Decca Records on New Year's Day, 1962. On that same day an up-and-coming band known as the Beatles also auditioned. With their regular slot on BBC Radio and large following the Tremeloes were a natural choice and were quickly signed by the record label over the Beatles. Upon their signing Decca bosses insisted that the band be billed as 'Brian Poole and the Tremeloes' as such was the trend at the time. 　　The band quickly embraced their new name as Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Their diverse musical talents meant that as well as producing their own singles they also performed as backing for other recording artists. Their first chart entry was "Twist and Shout" in June 1963 (a cover version of an Isley Brothers song that was also covered by the Beatles). "Twist and Shout" reached number four in the UK singles chart selling over 1 million copies and other charts hits were soon to follow.