Alec Woodburn (5 May 1942 in

Kettering Kettering is a market town, market and industrial town, industrial town in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, west of Cambridge, England, Cambridge, southwest of Peterborough, southeast of Leicester and north- ...

, Northamptonshire, England – 6 February 2012 in

Middlewich Middlewich is a town and civil parish in Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is located east of Chester, east of Winsford, south-east of Northwich and north-west of Sandbach. The population of the parish at the United Kingdom 2021 census, ...

, England), known professionally as Jim King, was an original member of the British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

. He played saxophone and harmonica, and sang occasional lead vocals on the band's first two albums, ''

Music in a Doll's House ''Music in a Doll's House'' is the debut album by English progressive rock group Family, released on 19 July 1968. The album, co-produced by Dave Mason of Traffic,Vernon Joynson, ''The Tapestry of Delights Revised, The Comprehensive Guide To Br ...

'' and '' Family Entertainment.'' King also sang the entire lead vocal on "Observations From a Hill", a song on the latter album. Jim, as he became known, formed James King and the Farinas (later just The Farinas), a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

based

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 ...

group, with guitarist Charlie Whitney in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

in 1962. He sang the lead vocal on the group's single "You Better Stop" b/w "I Like it Like That". When

Roger Chapman Roger Maxwell Chapman (born 8 April 1942 in Leicester), also known as Chappo, is an English Rock music, rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the progressive rock band Family (band), Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney ...

joined as vocalist in 1966, the group had begun to perform under the name The Roaring Sixties. The name Family was decided upon later. King left Family in October 1969 owing to health problems and 'musical disagreements'. As well as session work for

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who came to prominence in 1967 as a founding member of the rock band Traffic. While with Traffic, he wrote and sang lead vocals on two of the b ...

and Gordon Jackson, he joined the jazz-rock band Ring of Truth for a brief period, doing a few gigs, then concentrated on composing and playing solo concerts, mostly classical sax with some jazz. In February 2012, he died while living in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, at the age of 69.

References

1942 births 2012 deaths People from Kettering Family (band) members English rock saxophonists English jazz saxophonists British male saxophonists British harmonica players 20th-century British saxophonists {{saxophonist-stub