Long John Baldry

A deep, rasping, crooning voice of the British 1960s R&B boom, Long John Baldry helped inspire the likes of Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Roger Daltrey and introduced the UK to America's blues scene. Starting out as a jazz and folk singer in the late 1950s, he was given his name "Long John" when touring with Ramblin' Jack Elliot because of his 6ft 7in frame, before joining Alexis Korner's seminal band Blues Incorporated and featuring on the first ever British blues album R&B At The Marquee (1961). The band were central to the 1960s British blues boom and gave starts to Jimmy Page, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker and Davy Graham, among others; but Baldry left to play with several bands including the Hoochie Coochie Men (featuring Rod Stewart) and Bluesology (featuring Elton John) and released his debut solo album Long John's Blues in 1964. Turning his great, baritone purr into more of a pop direction, he scored his most famous song, the UK Number 1 hit Let The Heartaches Begin in 1967 and followed it with the single Mexico. He subsequently returned to his first love of blues on the album It Ain't Easy (1971). One of the few openly gay musicians of the era, Baldry helped Elton John come to terms with his sexuality after he attempted suicide, but Baldry himself suffered mental problems and was institutionalised for two years. He openly discussed his problems and "came out" on the album Baldry's Out (1979) and went on to have a small US hit with Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King. He later relocated from England to live in Vancouver, Canada where he released the Juno Award winning album Right To Sing The Blues (1997), before his death in 2005 aged 67.