THEY ALSO SERVED

GLADIATORS vocalist ALBERT GRIFFITHS (below, b.1945) was a session guitarist for producer Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd when he founded the Kingston roots reggae harmonisers in 1967.

The following year they found success with the Dodd-produced Hello Carol. Further recordings with Coxsone led to The Gladiators, now a crack octet, signing with Virgin for five albums including the highly-regarded Trenchtown Mix-Up (1976) and Proverbial Reggae (1978). The group weathered changing styles, recording and gigging regularly, but in 2006, Griffiths retired from touring and was replaced in the group by his sons Al and Anthony.

AVANT-GARDE pianist ‘BLUE’ GENE TYRANNY (b.Bob Sheff, 1945) was a piano prodigy in Texas where he programmed new music events with composer Philip Krumm. He later moved to Ann Arbour, Michigan, where he played with blues rockers The Prime Movers, whose ranks also included Iggy Pop and in 1973 he briefly played keyboards with The Stooges, when he reputedly earned his nickname. As well as working in music education, he recorded and toured solo – 1978’s Out Of The Blue is an avant-chamber pop favourite – toured with Carla Bley, played on albums by Laurie Anderson, John Cage and Peter Gordon, wrote for film and the stage, and penned incisive music appreciation.

RASPBERRIES drummer MICHAEL McBRIDE (b.1949) played on Starting Over, 1974’s final album by the Ohio powerpop originators. McBride had known Raspberries singer Eric Carmen and guitarist Wally Bryson since their days in Cryus Erie and The Quick. McBride also played on Carmen’s solo debut, which spawned 1976 hit single All By Myself. Formerly a frontman, McBride was celebrated for his Keith Moon-influenced drum attack on Starting Over. He was later lead drummer with Cleveland’s North Coast Pipe Band.

MUSICIAN, ARTIST and writer LARRY ‘LD’ BEGHTOL (below, b.1964) was best known for his contributions to The Magnetic Fields’ 1999 masterpiece of miniatures, 69 Love Songs, writing and singing the tender, witty All My Little Words and others. Born in Kentucky, he wrote about art and music for the Memphis Flyer before moving to New York to art direct and write for The Village Voice and The Long Island Voice. As multiinstrumentalist and singer he recorded several albums as Flare, and one of avant-folk pop as LD And The New Criticism for US indie Darla.

BASSIST PIERRE KEZDY (b.1962) played in Strike Under and Trial By Fire before joining influential Chicago art punks, Naked Raygun in 1985. With writing credits on every Naked Raygun album from 1985’s All Rise, including singles Vanilla Blue (1987) and Home (1990), he had a parallel career as a plumber. When Naked Raygun split in 1992, he joined Pegboy, rejoining Raygun for their 2006 reunion.

BLUES scion JOSEPH ‘MOJO’ MORGANFIELD (b.1969) carried on the Chicago blues tradition of his father Muddy Waters, leading his band The Mannish Boyz. He debuted in 2018 with the Mojo Risin’ EP: his first album was planned for early 2021.

BASSIST JASON SLATER (b.1971) was the original bassist in San Franciscan pop-rockers Third Eye Blind, playing on the group’s original demo but leaving before they signed with Elektra in 1996. He continued as bassist and producer for Snake River Conspiracy, whose industrial rock debut, Sonic Jihad, was released in 2002. He also formed Revenge Of The Triads with Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and NiN’s Charlie Clouser and produced four albums for Seattle’s Queensrÿche, beginning with 2005’s cyber-metal concept album, Operation: Mindcrime II.

SHETLAND-BORN bassist RON MATHEWSON (b.1944) studied classical piano before jazz entered his life. By the early ’60s he was ensconced in the London scene, and would play with the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, Tubby Hayes, Philly Joe Jones, Ben Webster, Oscar Peterson, Kenny Wheeler, Dick Morrissey, Roy Eldridge, Ian Carr, Ronnie Scott, Tony Levin, Tony Oxley, Joe Henderson and many more.

ROCKABILLY voice, guitar and pianist CARL MANN (b.1942) had a Number 25 US hit with his frisky version of Mona Lisa in 1959, released on Sun just as the label was being eclipsed, and which beat a rival cover by Conway Twitty. The same year Pretend was Mann’s last chart entry, and after playing with Carl Perkins’ band, he left music to work at his family’s lumber business in Huntington, Tennessee. He returned in the ’70s, first singing country and then getting back to the roots on the revival circuit in Europe and the USA. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame on 2006. A biography, The Last Son Of Sun, was published in 2010.

SHOREDITCH-born entertainer DAME BARBARA WINDSOR (below, b. Barbara Ann Deeks, 1937) was talent scouted when dancing with Stoke Newington troupe Madame Behenna And Her Juvenile Jollities. Following her stage musical debut in 1952’s Love From Judy, her first screen role was in 1954’s The Belles Of Saint Trinians. Enduring fame as star of the Carry On films and EastEnders followed. She also had seven album credits to her name, including the original cast recording of Sing A Rude Song, a musical based on the life of Marie Lloyd, co-starring Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, whom she briefly dated. 1999’s pop album You’ve Got A Friend (featuring Steve McFadden and Mike Reid) and Smile, a 2002 album of jazz covers, followed. Jenny Bulley, Clive Prior and Ian Harrison