Lead singer with 60s avant-garde pioneers, The Dreamers, Timothy Garrity gained his 'Freddie' nickname from his uncanny resemblance to Yorkshire fast bowler, Freddie Trueman (who, in turn, was often referred to as Timothy for the same reason, although not to his face).

Freddie and The Dreamers released string of politically-charged singles in the early 60s, including:
‘I’m Telling You Now’, which railed against bullying
‘You Were Made For Me’ – an epic retelling of ‘The Stepford Wives’ plot, relocated to Crumpsall in Manchester
‘Who Wears Short Shorts?’ – their proto-gay anthem

While touring in America, Freddie struck up an unexpected friendship with James Brown, teaching him some of his best dance moves, but perhaps the band's most notable achievement was their venture into film; while lesser bands such as the Dave Clark Five and The Beatles were content to produce fan-pleasing light musical comedies, Freddie and The Dreamers produced a dark, futuristic, psychological drama, ‘The Cuckoo Patrol’, which is credited for being the inspiration for both ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Space Patrol’.

A US sitcom bringing together the band and Terry-Thomas was mooted, but did not reach the small screen.
editor's note: some or all of this might not be true