hiː fˈɜːst pɚfˈɔːɹmd ɪn ɐ dˈuːoʊ, dˈɜːk ænd tˈoʊni nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv bᵻfˌoːɹ fˈaʊndɪŋ tˈuː mˈoːɹ bˈændz, "ɹˈiːoʊ dˈaɪəmənd" nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv ænd "tˈiː. ɡɹˈeɪəm bɹˈaʊnz ɹˈæk ʌv spˈæm" nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti nˈaɪn.
He first performed in a duo, Dirk & Tony (1973–75) before founding two more bands, "Reo Diamond" (1975) and "T. Graham Brown's Rack of Spam" (1979).