Birmingham Musicians

Many accomplished singer/songwriters and musicians have emerged from Greater Birmingham, some of the more notorious artists include:

• Apache Indian - Bhangra/Ragga musician and Radio 1 DJ
• Julian Arguelles - born Birmingham, 1966. Award winning modern Jazz saxophonist.
• Joan Armatrading - St Kitts born and Handsworth raised singer/songwriter. Joan is an Honorary Fellow of Birmingham University and in 1996 she was awarded the 'Ivor Novello' for her 'Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection'. During 1999 Joan was included as one of the 100 most influential women in rock in a VH1 poll and in 2001 she received an MBE from the Queen. Joan was made President of Women of The Year In the United Kingdom for a five year term in 2005.
• Harvey Andrews Folk Singer. He has produced 15 albums of his own songs, many of which have been recorded by other artists. >more
• Astro - Reggae toaster for 'UB40'
• Martin Barre - Electric & Acoustic Guitar and Flute  Barriemore Barlow, Drummer. Dave Pegg and Jonathan Noyce, Bass Guitar all played for 'Jethro Tull'
• Pato Banton - Reggae musician.
• Ronnie Ball - born Birmingham, 1927. Ronnie was a successful pianist and one of the first few British ?modern jazz? pioneers.
• Bev Bevan - drummer for 'Denny Laine and The Diplomats', 'Carl Wayne and the Vikings', 'The Move' and E.L.O.
• John Bonham - drummer for various mid sixties Brum bands including 'Band Of Joy' and 'Led Zeppelin'
• Ali Campbell - singer/songwriter for 'UB40'
• John Carter - fronted 'Carter-Lewis And The Southerners' with a young Jimmy Page as well as founding 'The Flower Pot Men' and 'The Ivy League'
• MC Cheshire Cat - Reggae singer, performs for electronic outfit 'Leftfield'
• Dave 'Clem' Clempson - Tamworth born, Clempson played in many Birmingham bands. Clem formed the 'Bakerloo' band and later sang and played guitar for 'Colosseum'. He also played for Humble Pie and Strange Brew, and performed with artists shuch as 'Bob Dylan', 'Jack Bruce', 'Chris De Burgh', 'Cozy Powell' and 'Roger Chapman' from 'Family'
• Steve Cradock - guitarist with 'Ocean Colour Scene' and 'Paul Weller'
• Kelli Dayton - singer for 'The Sneaker Pimps'
• Nick Drake - grew up in Tanworth-In-Arden 14 miles to the south of Birmingham, his sister, Gay went to school in Edgbaston. Nick played Birmingham Town Hall and his last gig of 1969 was played at a social club in Smethwick
• Stephen Duffy, who first came to National fame in the mid-1980s (after a short stint as lead vocalist/founding member of Duran Duran) as Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy, scoring six top-twenty hits. In the 1986, he formed the ethereally brilliant folk-pop group The Lilac Time with his brother Nick, which released seven critically acclaimed albums. Throughout this time he has released five solo albums, including one with classical violinist Nigel Kennedy and in 2002, a collaboration with Duran Duran co-founder Nick Rhodes as 'The Devils'. Also he's co-written some dozen songs with Canadian songwriter and Barenaked Ladies member Steven Page that have appeared on their albums. Unfortunately, Duffy also holds the rare distinction of actually been signed and subsequently dropped by every major label in the UK! For the last three years he has been working with an obscure fellow by the name of Robbie Williams, co-writing the albums, 'Intensive Care' and 'Rudebox'.
• Steve Gibbons - singer/songwriter for 'Idle Race' and 'The Steve Gibbons Band'
• Roland Gift - vocalist 'Fine Young Cannibals'
• Goldie - Wolverhampton graffiti artist and dance musician, studied his arts in his Heathtown and Birmingham formed 'The Metal Headz' drum and bass band.
• Paul Hancox - drummer with 60's band 'The Mindbenders'
• Tony Iommi - guitarist for 'Mythology', 'The Chevrolets', 'Jethro Tull' and founding member of 'Black Sabbath'
• Jamelia - R&B singer, collaborated with artists such as 'Coldplay' and performed on 'Band Aid 20'
• Mike Kellie - band member of 60's rock group 'Spooky Tooth'
• Soweto Kinch - Birmingham based and award winning new Jazz saxophonist and rapper.
• Tony Kinsey - Born in Sutton Coldfield, composer arranger and musical director. Kinsey was one of the first few British "Modern Jazz" pioneers. He was on drums and piano from the age of 7 and later received drum tuition from Tommy Webster. He did local gigs with pianist Ronnie Ball, then worked professionally in various big bands across the UK. He received drum tuition in New York from Bill West and Cozy Cole. Kinsey later gained experience in many U.S. big bands and after settling back in the U.K. he regularly led his own quintet and accompanied innumerable visiting American stars including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, Ben Webster, Harry "Sweets Edison, etc. Tony also played with Jazz legends John Dankworth, Ronnie Scott, Tommy Whittle and Arnold Ross.
• Denny Laine - formed 'Denny Laine & The Diplomats' in 1962 with Bev Bevan, he also formed 'The Moody Blues', also played same bill as 'Jimmy Hendrix' as 'The Denny Laine Electric Strings Band'. Denny was the bassist for 'Balls' and played for 'Ginger Baker's Airforce' as well as singing and playing guitar for 'Paul McCartneys' 'Wings'
• Keith Law - A singer-songwriter, and member of several Birmingham bands, including Velvett Fogg, (See Brumbeat) whose 1969 album has been recently re-released, selling well across Europe and Japan currently and available from Amazon. The Fogg have been asked to release a new album, and Keith is currently working on that with the Fogg keyboard player, for release later this year. Keith Law, is still song writing, and is now a successful entertainer in the South-West.
• Ken Lewis - (see John Carter)
• Jeff Lynne - member of the Brumbeat scene, he later formed E.L.O. and played alongside 'George Harrison', 'Roy Orbison', 'Tom Petty' and 'Bob Dylan' in 'The Traveling Wilburys'. Lynne has produced for legendary rock artists like Roy Orbison, George Harrison, 'Ringo Starr' and 'Brian Wilson' (of 'The Beach Boys') as well as producing 'The Beatles Anthology' records in the mid-1990s.
• Phil Lynott - Birmingham born and Dublin raised, Lynott formed 'Thin Lizzy'
• Les Marshall - Drummer took over from John Bonham when he joined Tim Rose. Following that Les was Galliards drummer >website
• Eric Maschwitz (aka: Holt Maxwell or Marvel) - b 1901 - d 1969. Eric, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, was a Birmingham born and raised lyricist who received his formal education at -Repton and Cambridge University. Maschwitz first appeared on the British stage in the mid 1920's and in 1926 he joined the BBC. In 1939, he signed an MGM contract and was taken to Hollywood, CA. His work included writing the screenplays for such film hits as 'Goodbye My Chips' (for which he shared an Academy Award nomination), and 'Queen of Song'. In 1958, he rejoined the BBC as head of Light Entertainment - Television, but left in 1963 to join ITV. Eric wrote lyrics for works such as: "Good Night Vienna", "He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings" (World War II morale song), "Mardi Gras", "Nightingale Sang in Barkeley Square" (World War II morale song written while serving in the British
  Intelligence Service during the war.) and "Nitchevo" (from 1939 film 'Balalaika).
• Nick Mason - Born in Birmingham and raised in London, Mason is the longest serving member of 'Pink Floyd'
• Susan Maughan 1960's singer. Susan Maughan b1942 lived in Greenway Street Small Heath and went to Tilton Road school before hitting the charts with Bobby's Girl.
• Fritz Mcintyre - keyboardist for 'Simply Red'
• Dave Mason - member of 'Traffic', friend of 'Jimmy James Hendrix'. Hendrix first heard "All Along The Watchtower" by Bob Dylan at a party he was invited to by Mason, he decided to record his own version the same night with Mason playing acoustic guitar.
• John "Ozzy" Osbourne - 'Black Sabbath' fame
• Carl Palmer - drummer of 'Emerson Lake and Palmer'
• John Charles Patrick - b: Smethwick nr Birmingham, 1931. Patrick was a successful pianist/arranger/composer and band leader, he performed with Jazz legends such as Ernestine Anderson, Kirchin Orch, James Moody, Mark Murphy, Anita O'Day, Sonny Rose, Dakota Staton and Ben Webster.
• Christine Perfect - Bearwood born and raised singer & pianist for many Brumbeat bands and later 'Fleetwood Mac'
• Robert Plant - born and raised in West Bromwich, Plant became leader of 'The Midland Flower People' and learned his trade in several Birmingham bands, he later fronted 'Led Zeppelin'
• Colin "Cozy" Powell - Famous Cotswolds drummer who later lived in Sutton Coldfield, started his musical career in Brumbeat bands 'The Sorcerers', 'The Mayfair set' and 'The Ace Kefford Stand'. Powell worked with artists such as 'Donovan' to 'Roger Daltry', 'Jack Bruce' to 'Jeff Beck' and 'Gary Moore' to 'Brian May' as well as being a full time member of 'Black Sabbath'
• Nick Rhodes - musician with 'Duran Duran' was born Nicholas Bates in Moseley and grew up in Hollywood on the outskirts of Birmingham
• Douglas "Dougle" Robinson - b: Birmingham 1921, alto sax/clarinet/flute. Robinson played with Jazz legends Ambrose, Tito Burns, Johnny Claes, Teddy Joyce and Ronnie Scott.
• Ranking Roger - Ska toaster and singer for 2 Tone band 'The Beat'
• John Henry Rostill - bass guitarist/composer for 'The Shadows'
• Dave Rotheray - songwriter/guitarist for 'The Beautiful South'
• Kevin Rowland - singer/songwriter for 'Dexys Midnight Runners'
• Mike Skinner - 'The Streets'
• Dave Swarbrick - awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for his work with 'Fairport Convention'
• John Taylor - musician with Duran Duran
• Roger Taylor - musician with Duran Duran
• Max Thomas - "City Boy" folk-turned-art-rock sextet. Very big in Canada during the 70's.
• Fuzz Townsend - drummer with 'Bently Rthym Ace' and Stourbridge based 'Pop Will Eat Itself'
• Ruby Turner - Soul singer of the 80's now regularly supports 'Jules Holland'
• Ted Turner - guitar/vocals, 'Wishbone Ash'
• Peter Overend Watts - Birmingham born, founding member of 'Mott The Hoople'
• Toyah Willcox - 70's punk queen
• Stevie Winwood - Member of 'The Spencer Davis Group', 'Traffic' and 'The Idle Race'. Winwood was a close friend of Jimi Hendrix and played on 5 Hendrix LP's including playing the wild organ riff on 'Voodoo Chile', he also played the powerful organ riff on 'Joe Cocker's' 'With A Little Help From My Friends' as well as 'Toots & The Maytals' 'Reggae Got Soul' album.
• Dave Wakeling from Stechford, ex Beat + General Public Lead singer late 70-80's
• Roy Wood - leader/co-founder of 'The Move' and 'E.L.O.' as well as a particular popular spell with 'Wizard' (too many festive hits to mention)
• Benjamin Zephaniah - Rasta dub poet, performed for 'Bob Marley's 'Wailers' and dance musicians such as 'Kinobe' and 'Bomb The Bass'

If we have missed any other well known musicians please Contact us so we can add to the list.

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Thanks to Nick for most of the info on this page. www.myspace.com/brumbeat