Showing posts with label electric light orchestra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electric light orchestra. Show all posts

Monday, February 01, 2016

Leo Sayer is probably a little disappointed this morning

Back in November, Leo Sayer was talking up the possibility that he was going to play the Legends slot at Glastonbury.

He was sort-of-right; turns out it's going to be ELO not LEO.

Or, rather, whatever the legally allowable format of the Electric Light Orchestra is these days - Jeffy Lyne's Electrish Light Orchestra or something like that.


Sunday, September 05, 2010

Rockobit: Deva Pramada (Mike Edwards)

Mike Edwards, founder member of the Electric Light Orchestra, has died in an unusual accident. The van he was traveling was hit by a runaway round bale of hay.

The cellist was a member of ELO from their first live date in 1972, until he quit in 1975. It was at this time that he embraced Buddhism and changed his name to Deva Pramada.

Sadly, the man believed to be Edwards has yet to be formally identified - local police have used the internet to pull together an ID but are trying to trace a relative:

[Steve Walker of Devon And Cornwall Police said] "this was a tragic accident and we have now identified the victim as Michael Edwards, a founder member of ELO.

'We have used photographs and YouTube footage to identify him but we now need help contacting his family for formal identification.

'We don't believe he was ever married and we have identified an ex-girlfriend but she is currently abroad.'

He continued: 'We think he may have a brother called David in the Yorkshire area and we obviously need to contact him.

'Michael has no immediate family but we believe he may have taught some cello in Devon and would ask his students to contact us if they know of any relations."
Edwards' first experience on stage was playing a ragamuffin in a BBC version of Carmen while a child; he returned to staged musical events in his post-ELO career producing operas for Sadlers Wells and Covent Garden. In 1992, he released a double cassette as part of Tim Brophy & Deva Pramada.

Mike Edwards was 62.


Friday, February 20, 2009

Popobit: Kelly Groucutt

Former ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt suffered a fatal heart attack earlier this week.

Born Michael William Groucutt, he was recruited to the Electric Light Orchestra in 1974 after a spell in The Sight & Sound. The band were already doing well, and he took over as bassist in time for the band to tour Eldorado; his first studio work - which included vocals - came on 1975's Face The Music.

As with many long-running acts, money would eventually sour relations, and Groucott quit ELO after taking umbrage at royalty arrangements. After leaving in 1983, he embarked on a lawsuit against the band management and Jeff Lynne, securing an out-of-court settlement.

He then joined the dissident, Lynne-free ELO II and the subsequent, even more dissident The Orchestra; he had also been playing with a smaller band, Session 60.