Tony Ashton (born March 1, 1946 in Blackburn) first met drummer Roy Dyke (born February 13, 1946 in Liverpool) when after playing with various Blackpool bands, he was invited to join the Liverpool group, the Remo Four as organist/vocalist, Roy Dyke was the groups drummer, having joined in 1963. Their best work came in 1966 when they released their album "Smile". Before their break-up in 1968, they backed George Harrison on his album "Wonderwall".

Ashton and Dyke then joined forces with bass player Kim Gardner (born January 27, 1946 in Dulwich), who had previously played in The Birds and Creation, calling themselves Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. They released their first single “Maiden Voyage”/”See The Sun In My Eyes” on Polydor in 1969, but it flopped. Their next release, on Capitol, made them household names. It was “Resurrection Shuffle”. It entered the UK charts on January 16, 1971, had a chart life of 14 weeks and peaked at No.3. Unfortunately their follow-up single “Can You Get It” lacked the appeal of “Resurrection Shuflle” and failed to chart.

They recorded 3 albums:

• • Ashton, Gardner And Dyke (Polydor 583 081) 1969
  • The Worst Of Ashton, Gardner And Dyke (Capitol EST 563) 1971
  • What A Bloody Long Day It's Been (Capitol EAST 862) 1972

Their last recording together was a collaboration with Jon Lord on the soundtrack for a b-movie called "The Last Rebel" starring former football star Joe Namath. Ashton had also appeared on Jon Lord's first solo album "Gemeni Suite" in 1971. The trio split in 1972.

After their demise, Tony Ashton went on to play for Medicine Head and was briefly in Family before teaming up with Deep Purple’s Jon Lord in Ashton & Lord and then with Lord and Purple’s drummer Ian Paice in Ashton, Lord & Paice.

Ashton died of cancer, on May 28, 2001. Gardner also died of cancer in 2001, in Los Angeles on October 24, aged 53.