Long John Baldry

Born in Doveshire, England, in 1941, Long John Baldry (calledl "Long John" because he was 6'7") was a pioneer in the British blues-rock scene in the 1960s. He started out as a folk singer, often touring Europe with American folkie Jack Elliott (aka Ramblin' Jack Elliott). He switched to the blues, however, after playing with such bands as Alexis Korner and his Blues Incorporated band and Cyril Davies and His Rhythm and Blues All Stars. He formed his own band in 1964, The Hoochie-Koochie Men, then put together a band named Steampacket--which featured Rod Stewart--and then Bluesology, which included keyboard player Reg Dwight, later to change his name to Elton John. In the late 1960s Baldry turned to pop music, and had a big hit with "Let the Heartaches Begin" in 1968, but by the early 1970s he was back to playing rock. In the mid-'70s he ran into some personal problems and took some time off from the music industry. In 1980 he moved from the UK to Canada and became a Canadian citizen, and only occasionally recorded and played club dates in Canada. He died in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2005.