Derek’s singing career got under way in the sixth form at school. Inspired by Paul Simon his first love was folk singing. He taught himself to play the guitar and sang and wrote some of his own songs. Harmony was always something he strived to master. He formed a group called the Weavers which played in various venues around Bedfordshire. They played a lot of Seekers material and their final song was aptly’ The Carnival is Over’ when they all had to part company to go off to jobs and University.

At Uni in Leicestershire Derek again played the folk club circuit.

There was a lean spell when music took a back seat whilst a career in aviation got under way until, in Yorkshire, a neighbour suggested they play the Working Men’s clubs as a country and Western duo. The ‘Will Black duo’ was formed hampered a little when Derek learned that his neighbour had never played anything and wasn’t musical. Derek taught his partner to play electric bass and the pair enjoyed a small amount of success getting to know what it was like to have a real ‘agent’ and learning to be patient at the gigs when it was clear that all the turns were really there to do was fill in between games of bingo!

A move back down South led to another spell when there wasn’t even a guitar in the house whilst a family was started and the career consolidated a bit more.

Eventually the music genes in Derek’s blood stirred and at the age where life begins he fulfilled an ambition and learned to tap dance. This opened up the whole new exciting world of amateur musicals in and around East Grinstead.

Derek appeared first as a sailor in Anything Goes. Further parts followed: Chess, Andy the choreographer in 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, Annie, No sex please we’re British and several Music Halls and Pantos and Revues.

Then something special happened. In 1999 Derek entered and won the local well known Search for a Star competition run by the Conchord Big Band. Derek sang ‘I write the songs’ and that big orchestral performance backed by a live band really got to him. He sang on and off with Conchord for the next couple of years and learned to love the swing era songs and particularly the male solo standards of Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra etc.

Derek teamed up with Robin in 2007 to again win Search for Star this time as a duet, the first time that the competition had been won by one. Robin and Derek sang ‘Me and My Shadow’ and a strong bond was formed. Since then the two have been joined by another local talent namely Dean and Vegas Nights was born.

Robin first took to the stage at the age of 3... some 30 something years ago. He can't remember what it was he actually sung... (actually he can - but is too embarrassed to talk about it)

Having established a keen interest in music, Rob joined his school choir at the age of 8, and also started to learn the guitar after being influenced by his father. However, Rob also expressed an interest in acting and by the time he was 14 he was taking lead parts in most of the productions at Cheam High School (while he was at school obviously). His pinnacle at school was landing the role of Fagin in Oliver! - A part that required a good singing voice as well as acting ability.

Around the same time Rob's father - Dave - decided to invite his son to a band rehearsal. Dave was an accomplished guitarist with 60's covers band: "Pole Star" - and to keep things further in the family, Rob's Uncle Pete just happened to be the bands drummer. The first rehearsal went well so he was given the opportunity to join the band as the lead singer. So at 14 years of age he played his first gig - at the "Airscrew Social Club" in Weybridge. The band went on to play many more gigs at various pubs and clubs in London and the south east, and still play the odd gig today - although Rob has now caught up with the rest of the band by starting to go grey and losing his hair...

Rob's confidence was now growing and he managed to land an audition for the TV show "Stars In Their Eyes" as Mick Hucknall from Simply Red" - unsuccessful - but he was told that he'd made it to the final 400 out of 50000 entries! That's what you get for forgetting the words!

Another "cutting room floor" experience came when Rob sung "Just the Way You Are" in front of 5000 people at Croydon Whitgift for the show "My Kind of People" with Michael Barrymore. Mr Barrymore was good enough not to interrupt for cheap laughs but it all ended there!

Rob did however manage 30 seconds on the "Discovery Channel" in "Vic Reeve's Rogues Gallery" so his 5 minutes of fame had been accomplished

While this was all happening Rob was still taking parts in plays and musicals such as: "3" at the Capitol, Horsham, "Tony" in "The Boyfriend" (Nutley), "Dodger" in "Oliver!" (Forest Row), "Sky Masterson" in "Guys and Dolls" (Forest Row) "Gerald" in "Me and My Girl" (Copthorne) and most recently "Alfie Doolittle" in "My Fair Lady (a show had had performed in some 20 years earlier in Forest Row as "Freddie") for Company of Friends.

Rob decided in 2001 that enough was enough and he should audition for "Search for a Star". After a successful audition he appeared in the show and came second with "This Is the Moment" from "Jekyll and Hyde". Not to be outdone he decided to enter again in 2006 with "For Once in My Life" - the Sinatra version. And came absolutely nowhere!

It was by chance that he met Del at a choir rehearsal in 2006. Frank Osborne suggested that the two of them enter Search for a Star as a duo the next year. This they duly did, and won the competition. They decided they didn't want to stop things there so on the strength of their success they put on their own show at Chequer Mead a year later - "Foreverly - A Tribute to the Everly Brothers". It was at this time that "Deano" had come into the frame.

Unbelievably, Rob bumped into Deano - and met him for the first time - at an audition for the X-Factor in London! This helped them both relieve the boredom of a 7 hour wait to get seen and sing for 30 seconds to be told "you're not going through!".

Deano was to appear as a guest on the Everly Brothers tribute, singing "That'll Be the Day" with Rob and Del backing and then "Ain't That a Kick In The Head" as part of a trio with Del and Rob. And that was the song that launched "Vegas Nights".... the rest is the future!

Dean’s performing career started when a work colleague asked him if he would be interested in being a part of an amateur musical called Scrooge. Accepting this invitation Dean immediately fell in love with performing. Dean performed with the amateur dramatic company known as ‘June Easter school of Theatre and Dance’ taking principal roles as Jesus in Godspell and Billy Lawlor in 42nd St. After 42nd St. June Easter school of Theatre and Dance closed down but Dean found a new home with fellow group ‘Company of Friends’.

In his first show as a marine in South Pacific Dean met fellow Vegas Nights Live star Derek Blackall not knowing what the future would hold.

Dean got his first taste of television shortly after South Pacific in reality television series ‘Bump ‘N’ Grind 2’ in which Dean made it down to the last 20 hopefuls out of thousands to dance at the live studio finals. Dean was unable to secure his place in the final 10 but was heavily featured in the first episode of the reality dance competition.

In April 2005 Dean entered local singing competition Search for a Star. Luckily for Dean he was able to beat strong competition to be crowned Search for a Star winner 2005 with his performance of ‘Mr. Bojangles’

Dean took principal roles in Company of Friends shows The Boyfriend (Bobby Van Husen) and delighted audiences as Silly Billy in Mother Goose. With his performing career truly taking off Dean was invited back as a contestant in Search for a Star – The Winners which pit the last 10 winning contestants against each other to crown a Search for a Star Winner of Winners. Despite the odds Dean was able to claim victory making local history as the first Search for a Star Winner of Winners.

Dean returned to Search for a Star he next year to sing as the winner and it was here that Dean met his other Vegas Nights Live companion Robin Shergold. It was a short time later when both decided to enter the countries biggest talent show ‘X Factor’. Not knowing they would meet at the audition, out of pure chance saw each other in the thousands of hopefuls. It was here that they forged a friendship.

After an eventful year Dean auditioned for the famed Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Dean managed to impress the highly acclaimed panel of judges to earn a place on the diploma course.

After graduating Italia Conti Dean embarked on many auditions earning a small extra role in the latest instalment of the Harry Potter series ‘Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince’ in which Dean was lucky enough to be in a scene with legendary actor Jim Broadbent. Dean continued auditioning landing a small commercial, a part in a web viral, an online drinking campaign and a pantomime tour.

Dean was asked to be a part of a show called 'Foreverly' an Everlrey Brothers tribute show starring Derek and Robin. After the success of 'Foreverley' Derek, Robin and Dean started to produce their swing show ‘Vegas Nights’.