Jeff Lynne is a hugely influential songwriter, performer and producer who has been at the heart of English rock and pop music for over half a century. He was born in Birmingham in 1947 and at the age of 19 joined The Idle Race, a moderately successful but highly respected psychedelic rock band. The Idle Race gave Lynne his first opportunity to become a producer and he was responsible for the production on the band's self-titled second album. An invite from his friend and fellow musician Roy Wood to join his up and coming band The Move tempted Lynne to leave The Idle Race and proved pivotal to his future career. In tandem with The Move, Lynne and Wood created an unusual group based around a string section and called it the Electric Light Orchestra. ELO, as the band became known, went on to become one of the most successful UK rock acts with a string of hit singles and successful albums. ELO firmly established Lynne's credentials as a songwriter and showcased his talents as a gifted producer. As his stature in the music business grew he established links with The Beatles, in particular George Harrison; Lynne produced what was to be Harrison's final album 'Brainwashed'.
As well as producing material for artists such as Tom Petty, Bryan Adams, Dave Edmunds, Del Shannon and Brian Wilson, Lynne's best known side project is the legendary supergroup The Traveling Wilburys which featured himself, Petty, Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.