June 26

 Adrian Gurvitz

June 26, 1949

In 1968, the British hard rock circuit gained a formidable new presence when Adrian Gurvitz, initially performing under the stage name Adrian Curtis due to his real family surname being considered difficult to pronounce, propelled the power trio The Gun to commercial success. He played electric guitar and piano. He supplied the intricate, hard-driven riffs for their signature chart hit before transitioning into new creative configurations as the decade progressed.

He later established Three Man Army alongside his bassist brother, recording heavy blues-rock albums before joining forces with a legendary Cream alumnus to form the Baker Gurvitz Army. This powerhouse lineup delivered three studio albums, which highlighted his technical evolution and complex arrangements. He also partnered as a principal writer and lead performer for The Graeme Edge Band on two studio projects, and ultimately launched a distinct solo career by releasing pop-rock albums from 1979 to 2000. He remained an official co-founding force across each of these core configurations rather than a session player.

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Larry Taylor

June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019

Fronting one of the era's most formidable rhythm sections, they defined the groove of the late-sixties blues revival when Larry Taylor anchored the heavy boogie lines of Canned Heat. He played bass guitar, electric guitar, and double bass. Known affectionately by the nickname The Mole, he was an official member of the band and drove their rhythm section from 1967 to 1970, performing at historic rock festivals and laying down the signature low-end tracks for their biggest studio hits.

He departed the group to join John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers as an official bassist, recording and touring with the lineup from 1970 to 1971. He spent the remainder of the decade playing on various studio tracks and forming the group Pure Food and Drug Act. He later balanced intermittent reunion tours with his original bandmates alongside an extensive tenure providing studio tracks and live instrumentation for solo artists, continuing his recorded output through 2014. Before achieving widespread fame with his primary band, he also spent the early sixties providing his skills as a session player for established pop acts.

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