Rob Townsend (born 7 July 1947) is an English rock and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

. He was the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band.

Biography

Townsend was born in Frog Island, Leicester, England, where he spent his teenage years playing in various bands, such as the Beatniks, Broodly Hoo and Legay. He became drummer for Family, replacing Harry Overnall in 1967. Family broke up in 1973 and Townsend joined Medicine Head. After eighteen months he left Medicine Head and spent much of the late 1970s as freelance session drummer for Peter Skellern, George Melly and

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

amongst others. During this time he played drums for Kevin Ayers and

Charlie Whitney Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...

Axis Point Axis Point was an English rock band. The band signed to RCA and released two albums in a twelve-month period, with a line-up including an eclectic mix of well known musicians of that time. They disbanded in 1980, after releasing their second a ...

. In 1982 Townsend joined The Blues Band, in a line up including Paul Jones, guitarists Dave Kelly and Tom McGuinness also bassist Gary Fletcher. He has also appeared with Jones and McGuinness in the Manfred Mann splinter band The Manfreds. Townsend once said in an interview: Townsend mentioned jazz greats Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa as influences in the same interview.

Notes

External links

Strange Band: The Family Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Rob Family (band) members 1947 births Living people English rock drummers People from Leicester Musicians from Leicestershire The Manfreds members The Blues Band members

Biography

Notes

Further reading

External links