Geraint Meurig Vaughan Watkins (born 5 February 1951) is a Welsh singer, songwriter,

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

pianist and

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

ist. He has backed many notable artists, including

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

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

, Roy St. John,

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although ...

and most recently

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

. He has also pursued a solo career and issued a number of albums under his own name, the most recent of which, ''Rush of Blood'', was released in September 2019.

Biography

Watkins was born in Abertridwr, near

Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; , ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley and separated from the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina by Caerphilly Mountain. It is north of Cardiff an ...

, South Wales. After time in the early 1970s at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

Art College, he returned to

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

and played with Red Beans & Rice and Juice on the Loose. The band Red Beans and Rice, attracted attention and moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to further their career.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Country Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 26 When they disbanded, Watkins played solo performances in London's

pubs A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

and with various bands, such as Southside United (with which he recorded an album),"The Southside Story" the Cable Layers, Klondike Pete and the Huskies, and the band of

Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...

's Micky Jupp on the 'Be Stiff Route 78' tour. He went on to record an album, ''Geraint Watkins & the Dominators'' (1979), produced by

Andy Fairweather Low Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner (band), Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton ...

. Session work followed: producer

Stuart Colman Ian Stuart Colman (19 December 1944 – 19 April 2018) was an English musician, record producer and broadcaster. Allmusic noted that he "has an impressive catalogue as a record producer and much of Shakin' Stevens success can be attributed to ...

recruited him for what became hit records for

; also he was recording and/or performing with Dr. Feelgood,

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as "Ireland's first rock star", he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometim ...

the Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...

the Blues Band The Blues Band was a British blues band formed in 1979 by Paul Jones, former lead vocalist and harmonica player with Manfred Mann, and guitarist Tom McGuinness also of Manfred Mann and The Roosters. The band's first line-up also included bas ...

, Box of Frogs,

Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in ...

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers (also known as Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers) were a Welsh rockabilly band associated with the Teddy Boy scene. The band formed in 1970, and ...

, and

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

amongst others. He was a member of the star-studded Willie & the Poor Boys alongside

Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...

and other

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

members, taking lead vocals on two numbers. In 1980, he released a solo single on

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London by Dave Robinson (music executive), Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the p ...

under the pseudonym Otis Watkins. In between sessions, the 1980s and beyond found Watkins playing accordion and piano with

the Balham Alligators The Balham Alligators were an English band from London that mixed rock 'n' roll, cajun, country and R&B. The band centred on singer and instrumentalist Geraint Watkins. Career The band came together by chance at a London pub in 1983. The ...

, a band, of which he was a founding member, that has helped to keep the music of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

alive in London's pubs. Throughout the 1980s, he also was a mainstay in

Dave Edmunds David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...

's band, both recording and touring with him. Between 1984 and 1989, Watkins played piano and accordion on five records of the Dutch band Normaal. He contributed vocals, piano and accordion to Klondike Pete and the Huskies' 1981 album ''Some of the Fellers'' and appears as Lightning Wanson G, on their 2010 album ''Who Axed You''. In recent years, Watkins has found time to work with

's Rhythm Kings; contributing to

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,The Impossible Bird ''The Impossible Bird'' is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe and Neil Brockbank, it was released in the United Kingdom in 1994 on Demon Records and elsewhere by Upstart Records. Reception In a contemporary revie ...

'' (1994), '' Dig My Mood'' (1998), ''

The Convincer ''The Convincer'' is a 2001 studio album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Produced by Lowe and Neil Brockbank, it was released in Europe by Proper Records and by Yep Roc Records in the United States. Track listing All songs by Nick Low ...

'' (2001), '' Untouched Takeaway'' (2004) and '' At My Age'' (2007); and to

's albums '' Back on Top'' (1999), '' Down the Road'' (2002), '' Pay the Devil'' (2006) and '' Keep It Simple'' (2008). As well as the early

vinyl LP The LP (from long playing or long play) is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specificati ...

with the Dominators, Watkins has released five solo albums: ''Watkins – Bold as Love'' (1997), ''Dial W for Watkins'' (2004), ''In a Bad Mood'' (2008), ''Moustique'' (2014) and ''Rush of Blood'' (2019).

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

said of ''Dial W for Watkins'', "It's slight on the surface – the love songs are sweet and short, there are lots of ragged edges and lots of jokes – but that's its appeal: it's warm, friendly, engaging music, perfect for a relaxing evening at home with old friends." Kerry Doole of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' called it "an unassuming but delightful effort." Jason MacNeil of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' suggested that Watkins' proficiency in a multitude of music genres "is what makes this album so bloody special." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' contributor Paul Sexton wrote that ''In a Bad Mood'' "displays Watkins' love for vintage R&B but also has more surprising sorties into

chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

and

cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

." Sexton ranked it as the number one album of 2008 on his year-end list; ''Billboard'' deputy global editor Tom Ferguson listed the album at number two. In 2009 and 2011, Watkins toured with

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings were an English blues rock band founded and led by bassist Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones. Other personnel varied depending on availability, an arrangement described in ''The Telegraph'' as "a fluctuating squad of v ...

as keyboard and accordion player and singer. He toured with Peter Green & Friends as a keyboard player in 2010. Watkins also toured with, and opened for

's '' Aquostic (Stripped Bare)'' album. This was also featured, on 22 October 2014, as a live concert from the Roundhouse on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

and on BBC television via the red button. Watkins played with the band on the subsequent UK tour. In September 2016 he performed, as part of the Aquostic line-up, at BBC Radio 2's ''Live in Hyde Park'' from

Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a , historic Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed urban park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Parks of London, Royal Park, it is the largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from Kensington P ...

. As a songwriter, Geraint had his compositions covered by

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...

Pokey LaFarge Pokey LaFarge (born Andrew Heissler, June 26, 1983) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. Early life LaFarge was born Andrew Heissler in Bloomington, Illinois. The nickname "Pokey" was coined by his mother, who would scold him to ...

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed circa 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re ...

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

, and the Holmes Brothers amongst others. Watkins maintains his own

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

page, where he frequently posts intimate musical performances. A solo studio album, ''Rush of Blood'', recorded in collaboration with

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton (born 30 April 1970) and Simon Ratcliffe (born 28 November 1969). The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first ros ...

's Simon Ratcliffe as producer, was released in 2019.

Discography

Albums

*''Geraint Watkins & the Dominators'' (1979),

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

, reissued in 2018 on

Jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

*''Bold as Love'' (1997), Bluefive, reissued in 2018 on Jungle *''Dick Lovejoy's Original Southside United Volume 1'' (1998, recorded in 1984), Ab-Fab"Southside United Vol. 1 *''The Official Bootleg'' (2001, recorded in 1988), MUSIPA *''The Bootleg After the Bootleg'' (2001, recorded in 1988), MUSIPA *''Dial 'W' for Watkins'' (2004),

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Fountains of Wayne ...

/Proper Records *''In a Bad Mood'' (2008, recorded 2005–2008), Goldtop Recordings *''Moustique'' (2014), Goldtop Recordings *''Rush of Blood'' (2019), The Last Music Company *''Arse in Gear'' (as Warent Atkins Trio) (2024), Ball and Chain Records

Notes

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

, ''Making Music: The Guide to Writing, Performing & Recording – Page 189'', W. Morrow, 1983,
Pianist Geraint Watkins: 'Dial W'
''Pianist Geraint Watkins: 'Dial W] by David Greenberger at

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

References

External links

*, from ''In a Bad Mood'', 2008, Goldtop AU79CD002 {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Geraint 1951 births Living people People from Caerphilly County Borough Singers from London Musicians from Swansea Welsh multi-instrumentalists Welsh session musicians Welsh keyboardists Welsh male singer-songwriters Welsh singer-songwriters Welsh guitarists British percussionists British accordionists British rhythm and blues musicians British blues musicians British rock pianists Status Quo (band) members Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings members 21st-century British accordionists Vertigo Records artists Yep Roc Records artists Proper Records artists