Meehan was a drummer of the early British rock combo The Shadows. He joined The Drifters, the backup band for young crooner Cliff Richard that changed its name to Cliff Richard & the Shadows and became the biggest band in British rock & roll in the days before Beatlemania. Meehan had hits with Richard including "Living Doll" and "Travelin’ Light," and without him, including the seminal guitar-heavy instrumental "Apache." Meehan left the group in 1961 to work at Decca Records but teamed up with Shadows bassist Jet Harris for the '63 hit "Diamonds."