November 08
Rodney Slater
November 8, 1941 – March 13, 2020
Rodney Slater joined Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in 1966 and became one of the group's saxophone and clarinet players during its most creative years. His playing contributed to the band's distinctive blend of rock, jazz, music hall, and surreal comedy on albums such as Gorilla, The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse, Tadpoles, and Keynsham. He performed alongside Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes as the group developed its unique musical and comedic style.
After the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band disbanded in 1970, Slater remained active as a session and touring player. He worked with artists including Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, and The Scaffold while continuing to perform with various Bonzo reunions over the following decades. His woodwind playing and understated stage presence helped make him an important part of one of Britain's most original and unconventional rock groups.
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Roy Wood
November 8, 1946
Roy Wood co-founded the Move in 1965 and became the band's lead guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter. He wrote many of the group's best-known songs, including "Flowers in the Rain," "Fire Brigade," "Blackberry Way," and "I Can Hear the Grass Grow." His inventive songwriting and ability to play a wide range of instruments helped establish the Move as one of the leading British rock bands of the late 1960s.
In 1970, Wood co-founded Electric Light Orchestra with Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, combining rock with orchestral arrangements on the group's first two albums. He left in 1972 to form Wizzard, where he wrote and performed songs including "See My Baby Jive," "Angel Fingers," and the enduring holiday favorite "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday." Throughout his career, he became known for recording many of the instrumental parts on his own albums.
Wood has continued recording, writing, and making occasional live appearances while remaining one of British rock's most versatile multi-instrumentalists and songwriters.
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