ELO Bassist Dies

On February 19, 2009, the rock and roll world lost an extremely talented musician when Electric Light Orchestra’s (ELO) bass player Kelly Groucutt passed away at the age of 63. In their heyday, ELO were one of the world’s biggest rock acts, adeptly blending lush orchestra arrangements with electronic and good old-fashioned rock and roll.

Groucutt was a member of a little known band called Sight and Sound before he was a member for ELO, he joined up with the band for the “Eldorado Tour.” His passion and talent quickly made him a fan favorite and distinctive vocals can be heard on such ELO cuts as “Night Rider” (1975), “Poker” (1975), and “Above The Clouds” (1976), among others.

His first appearance on an ELO album was 1975’s “Face The Music,” which featured the hits “Evil Woman” (#10) and “Strange Music” (#14 in 1976). He also played on the ELO albums “A New World Record” (1976), “Out Of The Blue” (1977), “Discovery” (1979), “Xanadu” (1980) and “Time” in 1981.

Groucutt released a self-titled solo project in 1982 called “Kelly,” which featured some of his fellow ELO bandmates. He remained with ELO until the beginning of the recording sessions for the 1983 “Secret Messages” album, but left the group due to his unhappiness with royalty payments. He sued band leader Jeff Lynne and the dispute was settled out of court.

Groucutt took part in many of the ELO spin-off groups including OrKestra, ELO Part 2 and The Orchestra. This talented musician leaves behind a wife and four children and his enthusiasm and passion will be missed by everyone who knew him.