Who is: Roy Wood

The HFoS ‘Who is/are:’ series provides handy bite-sized blasts of info for those who live their lives on the move.

To kick off what will be an occasional series (basically when I haven’t the time to write anything more substantial), who better than Birmingham’s own musical magi, unfairly remembered by most for the perennial Christmas fave ‘I Wish it could be Christmas Everyday’? The mighty Roy Wood!

Who is: Roy Adrian Wood

Born: Kitts Green, Birmingham. 1946

How to recognise: Full of beard, long of hair

What’s he do: Songwriter, singer, composer, musician

Instruments: Guitars, bass, saxophone, cello, sitar, mandolin, banjo, recorder, the kitchen sink… In fact, if it’s possible to get a tune out of it, there’s a fair chance Roy Wood can play it. And even if it isn’t, he’ll give it a ruddy good shot.  A bowl of water, for instance (‘Wake Up’ from Boulders)

Bands: Gerry Levene and the Avengers; Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders; The Move; Electric Light Orchestra; Wizzard; Roy Wood Wizzo Band; Helicopters; Roy Wood Big Band; Roy Wood’s Army

Essential Albums: Looking On (The Move); Message From the Country (The Move); The Electric Light Orchestra (Electric Light Orchestra); Wizzard Brew (Wizzard)

Best Songs: Fire Brigade (The Move – The Move); Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited (The Move – Shazam [sung by Carl Wayne]) Brontosaurus (The Move – Looking On); Looking On (The Move – Looking On); Tonight (The Move – Message front the Country); California Man (The Move – Message From the Country); Whisper in the Night (Electric Light Orchestra - The Electric Light Orchestra); Meet Me at the Jailhouse (Wizzard – Wizzard Brew); Buffalo Station/Get on Down to Memphis (Wizzard – Wizzard Brew); See My Baby Jive (Wizzard – Wizzard Brew); Songs of Praise (Roy Wood – Boulders)

Doing now: Wheels out the old favourites with Roy Wood’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Band for gigs and TV appearances. Writes an occasional column in Birmingham’s Sunday Mercury newspaper. The odd spot of TV, particularly local TV

Roy Wood’s official website

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