The Blackstones were a Beatles-influenced quartet who performed and recorded many original compositions penned by Boyan, with McGeorge as collaborator. The Blackstones performed with a number of high-profile rock acts during 1965, including The Byrds, The Beau Brummels and Herman's Hermits. The band developed a significant following and, as a result, was invited to play at The Cellar a teen dance club in Arlington Heights, Illinois, home of house band The Shadows of Knight. There the Blackstones became a sensation, with McGeorge's guitar and vocal skills a major factor in their success. The Blackstones disintegrated in Fall 1965 after two members, bassist Tom Osborne and drummer David Blanchard, were drafted into the US Army.