When you think of the British Invasion, your brain probably goes straight to the Beatles, the Stones, or maybe the Kinks. You think of George Harrison’s sitar or Keith Richards’ five-string grit. But there’s a massive, glaring hole in that conversation, and it’s shaped like a guy from Nelson, Lancashire, who’s been the engine of The Hollies for over six decades.
Tony Hicks isn't just "the other guy" in the band. Honestly, he’s the reason those classic records sound the way they do. While everyone else was chasing the loudest amp or the wildest stage antic, Hicks was basically a mad scientist in the studio. He was the one adding the weird bits—the banjo on "Stop! Stop! Stop!", the dulcimer, the electric sitar. He turned pop songs into textured masterpieces.
And yet, somehow, he’s still the most underrated guitarist of his era.
The Audition That Changed Everything
Back in February 1963, The Hollies were a band in trouble. Their original guitarist, Vic Steele, didn't want to go professional. He was happy with his day job. The band’s manager, Allan Cheetham, knew they needed someone with real chops to take them to the next level.
They found Tony Hicks. At the time, he was playing with a group called The Dolphins. He was only 17, but he was already a monster on the fretboard.
There’s this great story—kinda legendary among fans—that Hicks wasn't even sure he wanted to join. He actually listened to the band through an air vent at the Twisted Wheel club in Manchester before deciding to take the gig. He was savvy, too. He negotiated 18 pounds a week when the rest of the guys were only making nine. Talk about knowing your worth.
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Creating the "Hollies Sound"
Most people think of The Hollies as a "vocal group" because of those soaring three-part harmonies between Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Hicks. But listen closer to the tracks.
Hicks provided the "low" harmony, which acted as the anchor for Clarke’s lead and Nash’s high-tenor acrobatics. Without that basement-level support, the harmonies would have sounded thin. But his real genius was in the arrangements.
Take "Bus Stop," for example. That opening riff is iconic. It’s sharp, clean, and perfectly serves the song. That was the Hicks philosophy: serve the song. He wasn't interested in ten-minute solos. He wanted the three minutes on the radio to be perfect.
Beyond the Six-String: The Experimentalist
By the mid-60s, Hicks started getting restless with just being a "guitarist." He was one of the first guys in the pop world to realize that different textures could make a hit stand out on a crowded radio dial.
- The Banjo: On "Stop! Stop! Stop!", he used a banjo to create this frantic, driving energy that sounded like nothing else in 1966. He later joked that he had to haul a banjo around the world for forty years just to play that one song.
- The Sitar: Everyone gives George Harrison the credit (rightfully so), but Hicks was right there with him, using the electric sitar on tracks like "The Baby" to give the band a psychedelic edge.
- The 12-String: His use of the Vox Phantom XII 12-string guitar gave songs like "Look Through Any Window" that jingle-jangle brilliance that defined the mid-60s British sound.
He was essentially the band's secret weapon. While Graham Nash was pushing for more "experimental" and "artsy" directions—which eventually led to him leaving for Crosby, Stills & Nash—Hicks was the one making sure the music stayed grounded in melody and hook-driven power.
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The Songwriter Nobody Talks About
We often talk about the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team (sometimes credited under the pseudonym L. Ransford), but Hicks' solo contributions are where he really shines.
When Nash left in 1968, many critics thought The Hollies were done. Instead, they went on to have some of their biggest hits. Hicks wrote "Too Young to Be Married," which became a massive Number 1 hit in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a beautiful, acoustic-driven track that shows a much more sensitive, folk-oriented side of his writing.
He also co-wrote "Long Dark Road," a US Top 30 hit in 1971. He had this knack for finding the "vibe" of the early 70s—that laid-back, slightly melancholic rock—and fitting it perfectly into the Hollies' framework.
Why doesn't he get more credit?
It’s a fair question. Part of it is personality. Tony Hicks has never been the guy looking for the spotlight. He’s not out there doing "guitar hero" interviews or chasing solo fame. He’s been the one constant in The Hollies since 1963. He and drummer Bobby Elliott are the only original members still carrying the torch today.
There's also the "pop" stigma. Because The Hollies were so good at making hits, people sometimes dismissed them as "just" a singles band. But if you listen to the guitar work on Evolution or Butterfly, you’re hearing some of the most sophisticated arrangement work of the decade.
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The Gear of a Legend
If you're a gearhead, Hicks is a fascinating study. He didn't just stick to one "signature" sound. He moved through instruments like a chef switching knives.
In the early days, it was a cherry red Gibson ES-345. Later, he moved to the Fender Jazzmaster and the Rickenbacker 360. One of his coolest moves was painting his Gibson jet black in the mid-60s while keeping the Bigsby vibrato system. It looked as sharp as it sounded.
Even Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks once realized he had accidentally bought a 1959 Les Paul TV Junior that had originally belonged to Hicks. When Hicks saw him with it in the studio years later, he just said, "That's my guitar."
The Legacy in 2026
As of 2026, Tony Hicks stands as one of the few remaining architects of the original British Invasion still actively performing. The Hollies are still touring, and the music hasn't aged a day.
When you listen to a modern band that uses tight harmonies and intricate guitar layers, you're hearing the DNA that Hicks helped create. He proved that you could be a "lead" guitarist without being a "loud" guitarist. He showed that melody is just as important as muscle.
What you should do next to truly appreciate Tony Hicks:
- Listen to "Hard Hard Year" (1966): Pay close attention to the guitar solo. Eric Clapton reportedly said he wished he’d played on this track because the intro was so soulful.
- Watch the live footage of "Look Through Any Window" from 1965: Watch his hands on the 12-string. The precision is staggering for a kid who was barely 20 at the time.
- Spin the album Confessions of the Mind: It’s a 1970 masterclass in how to transition from 60s pop to 70s rock without losing your identity.
Tony Hicks didn't need to be the loudest voice in the room to be the most important person in it. He just let his fingers do the talking.