CAST your mind back, were you a regular at the Ponyberem Memorial Hall in the 60s? Do you remember seeing the legendary rock n roll star Gene Vincent performing there?

Well, if your answer is yes, you may be surprised to know that it was 50 years ago today, on December 4, 1964, that the late rock 'n roll star famous for his hit Be Bop A Lula made his appearance at the hall.

An avid fan, Aled Jones said: “Gene Vincent was quite a name in the rock 'n roll scene during the 1950s.

“He most certainly influenced The Beatles with their music and dress code, as before Brian Epstein became their manager, their stage gear was in the Vincent style of leathers - that's certainly how they appeared in their Cavern and Hamburg years.”

Over the last year Aled has been collecting as much information as possible from friends and music experts about Gene Vincent’s time in this country and the places he appeared at locally.

“It's true to say that he appeared in Llanelli on a number of occasions and also in Swansea and Cardiff, but what makes Pontyberem and Ystalyfera - where Vincent also played - different is that these two were villages rather than towns or cities,” said Aled.

“There was much interest from those who stayed true to the rocking scene locally rather than blend in with the 'mod' culture of the time.”

Vincent was living in the UK at the time of his Carmarthenshire appearances with his popularity in the United States on the wane thanks to the rise of other musical genres and the birth of modern rock 'n' roll - a sound which owed Vincent a huge debt.