John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

and

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

. Before achieving stardom, Rod Stewart and Elton John were members of bands led by Baldry. He enjoyed pop success in 1967 when " Let the Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in the UK, and in Australia where his duet with

Kathi McDonald Kathryn Marie "Kathi" McDonald (September 25, 1948 – October 3, 2012) was an American blues and rock singer and songwriter. As a teenager she sang with different bands around the Pacific Northwest before she was discovered by Ike Turner. She ...

" You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" reached No. 2 in 1980. Baldry lived in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

from the late 1970s until his death. He continued to make records there, and do voiceover work. Two of his best-known voice roles were as

Dr. Ivo Robotnik Doctor (title), Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega, Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Soni ...

in '' Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'', and as KOMPLEX in '' Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars''.

Early life

John William Baldry was born at East Haddon Hall, East Haddon, Northamptonshire, which was serving as a makeshift wartime maternity ward, on 12 January 1941, the son of William James Baldry (1915–1990), a Metropolitan Police constable and his wife, Margaret Louisa (; 1915–1989); their usual address was recorded as 18 Frinton Road, East Ham. His early life was spent in

Edgware Edgware () is a suburban town in northern Greater London, mostly in the London Borough of Barnet but with small parts falling in the London Borough of Harrow and in the London Borough of Brent. Edgware is centred north-northwest of Charing Cros ...

, Middlesex where he attended Camrose Primary School until the age of 11, after which he attended Downer Grammar School (now

Canons High School Canons High School (CHS) is an academy school situated in Edgware, Middlesex in the eastern part of the London Borough of Harrow. It also has an attached sixth form centre which forms part of the Harrow Sixth Form Collegiate. The school was form ...

Blues bands of the 1960s

Baldry grew to , resulting in the nickname "Long John". Baldry appeared quite regularly in the early 1960s in the Gyre & Gimble coffee lounge, around the corner from Charing Cross railway station, and at the Bluesville R. & B. Club,

Manor House, London Manor House, also known as Woodberry Down, is an area of North London in the northwest corner of the London Borough of Hackney. It lies immediately east of Finsbury Park, north of Stoke Newington, west of Stamford Hill and Seven Sisters, and ...

, also Klooks Kleek (Railway Hotel, West Hampstead). He appeared weekly for some years at Eel Pie Island on the Thames at Twickenham and also appeared at the Station Hotel in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

, one of the Rolling Stones' earliest venues. In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner's

Blues Incorporated Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, or simply Blues Incorporated, were an English blues band formed in London in 1961, led by Alexis Korner and including at various times Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Terry Cox, Davy Graham, Ginger Baker, Art ...

, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962 '' R&B from the Marquee''. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the ''R&B at the Marquee'' album. When

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

made their debut at the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed ...

in July 1962, Baldry put together a group to support them. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing the Stones on their U.S.-only live album '' Got Live If You Want It!'', in 1966. Baldry became friendly with

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to sing on one of

1964 TV specials ''

Around The Beatles ''Around the Beatles'' was a 1964 television special featuring the Beatles, produced by Jack Good for ITV/Rediffusion London. It was taped in Wembley Park Studios (now Fountain Studios) in London on 28 April 1964, and broadcast international ...

''. In the special, Baldry performs "Got My Mojo Workin'" and a medley of songs with members of the Vernons Girls trio; in the latter, the Beatles are shown singing along in the audience. In 1963, Baldry joined the

Cyril Davies Cyril Davies (23 January 1932 – 7 January 1964) was an English blues musician, and one of the first blues harmonica players in England. Biography Born at St Mildred's, 15 Hawthorn Drive, Willowbank, Denham, Buckinghamshire, he was the so ...

R&B All Stars with

Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...

playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited when Baldry heard him busking a

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

song at Twickenham Station after Stewart had been to a Baldry gig at Eel Pie Island. Long John Baldry became a regular fixture on Sunday nights at Eel Pie Island from then onwards, fronting a series of bands. In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and

Brian Auger Brian Albert Gordon Auger (born 18 July 1939) is an English jazz rock and rock music keyboardist who specialises in the Hammond organ. Auger has worked with Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Sonny Boy Williamson, an ...

on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight, when he began to record as a solo artist, adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Elton Dean and his surname from John Baldry. Following the departure of Elton John and Bluesology, Baldry was left without a backup band. Attending a show in the Mecca at Shaftesbury Avenue, he saw a five-piece harmony group called ''Chimera'' from Plymouth, who had recently turned professional. He approached them after their set to tell them how impressed he was by their vocal harmonies and that they would be ideal to back him on the cabaret circuit he was currently embarked on, which they did.

Solo artist

In 1967, he recorded a pop song " Let the Heartaches Begin" that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled "Mexico", which was the theme of the UK Olympic team that year. "Let the Heartaches Begin" made the lower reaches of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US. Baldry was still touring, doing gigs with Bluesology, but the band refused to back his rendition of "Let the Heartaches Begin", and left the stage while he performed to a backing-tape played on a large Revox tape-recorder. In 1971, John and Stewart each produced one side of '' It Ain't Easy'' which became Baldry's most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album chart. The album featured "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which became his most successful song in the US. Baldry's first tour of the US was at this time. The band included Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears, and Sammy Mitchell. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album ''Everything Stops For Tea'' which also made the lower reaches of the US album charts. The same year, Baldry worked with ex- Procol Harum guitarist Dave Ball. The 1979 album ''Baldry's Out'' was recorded in Canada, which he released at Zolly's Forum; a nightclub in Oshawa, underneath the Oshawa Shopping Centre. In a 1997 interview with a German television programme Baldry claimed to be the last person to see singer Marc Bolan before Bolan's death on 16 September 1977, having conducted an interview with the fellow singer for an American production company, he says, just before Bolan was killed in a car accident.

Move to Canada, later career

After time in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in 1978, Baldry lived in Dundas, Ontario from 1980 to 1984 before settling in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, where he became a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

citizen. He toured the west coast, as well as the US Northwest. Baldry also toured the Canadian east. In 1976, he teamed with Seattle singer

who became part of the Long John Baldry Band, touring Canada and the US. In 1979 the pair recorded a version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin", following which McDonald became part of his touring group for two decades. The song entered the US Billboard charts and was a No. 2 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain label. His 1997 album ''Right To Sing The Blues'' won a Juno Award in the Blues Album of the Year category in the

Juno Awards of 1997 The Juno Awards of 1997, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 9 March 1997 in Hamilton, Ontario at a ceremony in the Copps Coliseum. Jann Arden was host for the major ceremonies which were broadc ...

. In 2003 Baldry headlined the British Legends of Rhythm and Blues UK tour, alongside Zoot Money, Ray Dorset and Paul Williams. Baldry's final United States performance was held at Barristers Hall in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 July 2004. Baldry's final UK Tour as 'The Long John Baldry Trio' concluded with a performance on Saturday 13 November 2004 at The King's Lynn Arts Centre, King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The trio consisted of LJB, Butch Coulter on harmonica and Dave Kelly on slide guitar.

Personal life

Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s, at least amongst his friends and industry peers. However, he did not make a formal public acknowledgement of this until the 1970s. This was possibly because until 1967 in Britain, male homosexual conduct was still a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. In 1968, Elton John tried to commit

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

after relationship problems with a woman, Linda Woodrow. His lyricist Bernie Taupin and Baldry found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying her. The song " Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from ''

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy ''Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy'' is the ninth studio album by English musician Elton John. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John (Captain Fantastic) and his long-term lyricist Bernie ...

'' was about the experience. The name "Sugar Bear" in the song is a reference to Baldry. Baldry had a brief relationship with lead guitarist of the Kinks, Dave Davies. In 1978, his then-upcoming album ''Baldry's Out'' announced his formal coming out, and he addressed sexuality problems with a cover of Canadian songwriter Barbra Amesbury's "A Thrill's a Thrill".Mark Kowalk
Pioneering gay blues musician Long John Baldry dies

Xtra! West ''Xtra Vancouver'' (), formerly ''Xtra! West'', was a gay bi-weekly newspaper, published by Pink Triangle Press in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Printed on newsprint in tabloid format from its establishment in 1993, Pink Triangle Press ...

4 August 2005; http://www.xtra.ca

Health and death

During the mid-1970s, Baldry suffered from depression exacerbated by his collapsing career (particularly the failure of his 1973 album '' Good to Be Alive'') and separation from an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n boyfriend who was required to leave the United Kingdom when his visitor visa expired. As a result, he developed an addiction to alcohol and painkillers. Following an incident in which he was allegedly mugged in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, Baldry was found barely conscious by his sister, Margaret, in their Muswell Hill home, having overdosed on Valium and alcohol in an apparent suicide attempt. Baldry was institutionalized for less than a week, reportedly stopping his dependencies cold turkey. By the release of his 1986 album ''Silent Treatment'', Baldry suffered from crippling gout – which required several pairs of special shoes – as well as bronchial and sinus issues. Shortly after moving into a condominium on Vancouver's 4th Avenue in 1995, Baldry was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a bleeding stomach ulcer. He quit smoking afterwards and ceased performing in clubs that allowed smoking. During a performance in Banbury promoting his 1999 live album ''Live, Long John Baldry Trio'', Baldry was hospitalized for another bleeding ulcer caused and obscured by his arthritis medication indometacin. A few days after being discharged from Horton General Hospital, he developed agonizing gout across his body, prompting Rod Stewart to admit him to

the London Clinic The London Clinic is a private healthcare organisation and registered charity based on the corner of Devonshire Place and Marylebone Road in central London. According to HealthInvestor, it is one of England's largest private hospitals. Histor ...

, where he stayed for three weeks. In 2002, Baldry remarked that he had developed spinal osteoporosis and dorsocervical lipodystrophy. He underwent hip replacement surgery to treat his osteoporosis, after which Tom Lavin of the Powder Blues Band noted that he appeared healthier. Baldry died on 21 July 2005 at Vancouver General Hospital after a four-month battle with a chest infection. He was 64 years old. He was survived by his partner, Felix "Oz" Rexach, his brother, Roger, and his sister, Margaret.Mark Kowalk
Pioneering gay blues musician Long John Baldry dies. Music legend leaves the gay community proud.
10 August 2005. Accessed 23 September 2018. According to Rexach, Baldry fell ill with

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

after returning from a European tour earlier that year, and his infection developed antibiotic resistance.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilations

Singles

EPs

Other recordings

Performances on other albums * (1960) 6 Out Of 4 ~ The Thames-Side Four - Folklore (F-EP/1) ''Live recording of the group with LJB on guitar and vocals.'' * (1962) R&B from the Marquee ~

- Decca (ACL 1130) ''Baldry provides lead vocals on three tracks including 'How Long, How Long Blues. * (1970)

The First Supergroup ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

The Steampacket Steampacket (sometimes shown as Steam Packet) was a British blues band formed in 1965 by Long John Baldry with Rod Stewart, Julie Driscoll, and organist Brian Auger. History A musical revue rather than a single group, Steampacket was formed i ...

- BYG Records (529.706) ''Recorded December 1965 the album features tracks with LJB on lead vocals'' * (1971) The First Rhythm & Blues Festival In England ~ Various Artists - BYG Records (529.705) ''Recorded live in Feb 1964 Baldy sings '2.19' and 'Mojo Working * (1971) Every Picture Tells A Story ~ Rod Stewart - Mercury (6338 063) ''LJB provides backing vocals on the title track and 'Seems Like A Long Time'.'' * (1972) Mar Y Sol: The First International Puerto Rico Pop Festival ~ Various Artists - Atco Records (SD 2-705) ''Baldry sings a live version of the self-penned 'Bring My Baby Back To Me'.'' * (1975) Dick Deadeye: Original Soundtrack ~ Various Artists - GM Records (GML 1018) ''Soundtrack to the animated film of the same name with LJB taking lead vocals on three tracks.'' * (1975) Sumar Á Sýrlandi ~ Stuðmenn - Egg (EGG 0000 1/13) ''Rare Icelandic album. Baldry sings the track 'She Broke My Heart'.'' * (1996) Bone, Bottle, Brass or Steel ~ Doug Cox - Malahat Mountain ''LJB performs 'Good Morning Blues' accompanied by Doug Cox.'' * (1998) You Got The Bread... We Got The Jam! ~ Schuld & Stamer - Blue Streak Records (BSCD98001) ''Long John joins with acoustic blues duo Schuld & Stamer on several tracks.'' * (2002) For Fans Only! ~ Genya Ravan - AHA Music ''Features a rare duet with Ravan and Baldry on 'Something's Got A Hold On Me'. Recorded in 1978.'' * (2011) The Definitive Steampacket Recordings ~

- Nasty Productions ''Features two previously unreleased Steampacket tracks with LJB on lead vocals.'' * (2013) Radio Luxembourg Sessions: 208 Rhythm Club - Vol. 5 ~ Various Artists - Vocalion (CDNJT 5319) ''October 1961 recording. LJB sings 'Every Day I Have The Blues' '' * (2013) Radio Luxembourg Sessions: 208 Rhythm Club - Vol. 6 ~ Various Artists - Vocalion (CDNJT 5320) ''October 1961 recording of LJB singing 'The Glory Of Love'.'' TV specials *(1965) Rod The Mod *(1974) The Gospel According To Long John *(1985) Long John Baldry: Rockin' The Blues *(1987) Long John Baldry At The Maintenance Shop *(1993) Long John Baldry In Concert *(1993) Leverkusen Blues Festival '93: The Long John Baldry Band *(1993) Waterfront Blues Festival: Long John Baldry *(1997) Leverkusen Blues Festival '97: Long John Baldry & Tony Ashton *(1998) Café Campus Blues with Long John Baldry *(2001) Happy Birthday Blues: Long John Baldry & Friends *(2007) Long John Baldry: In The Shadow Of The Blues

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Official website
replaced with archived version
Long John Baldry Website Archive

Musical Tree ~ JohnBaldry.com
(Baldry band memberships) Archived version of page

recovered archived version of site

* ttp://www.vh1.com/artists/news/620364/01112000/baldry_long_john.jhtml Long John Baldry ~ VH1 profile * Long John Baldry: Biography ~ AllMusic.com*
''Billboard'' report on Baldry's death 22 July 2005
*
Long John Baldry and The Marquee Club

It Ain't Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues (Paperback)

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baldry, Long John 1941 births 2005 deaths 20th-century British guitarists 20th-century British male singers 20th-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian male singers 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people All-Stars (band) members Audiobook narrators Blues Incorporated members Bluesology members British blues singers British rhythm and blues boom musicians Canadian blues guitarists Canadian gay actors Canadian gay musicians Canadian male guitarists Canadian male voice actors English blues guitarists English blues singers English buskers English emigrants to Canada English gay musicians English male guitarists English male singers English male voice actors Infectious disease deaths in British Columbia Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year winners LGBT singers from Canada LGBT singers from the United Kingdom Naturalized citizens of Canada People educated at Canons High School Steampacket members Stony Plain Records artists