MOODIES FAMILIES - Originally compiled by Thomas E. "TR" Ruddick, who wrote this introduction:

The Moody Blues, as a band, are less reclusive in the 1990s and beyond than they were in the 1970s--but they're still extremely private sorts of fellows.

As a Moodies fan, I've an average (I think...) amount of curiosity about their backgrounds. Since there's no authorized biography, except for a few unreliable entries in Rock Encyclopedias, I started to assemble this genealogy. I've meant to include all who have appeared on stage with the Moodies (except, of course, those union musicians who comprised the various "festival" orchestras). I admit that this approach leaves out some important people and adds some obscure ones (Doug Lock, Rod Clark) but at least it's precise. I have recently added some of the producers and symphonic arrangers to fill some of the gaps.

The information is not always reliable. Any questionable information here is marked (?). Birth years for these men are particularly frustrating to verify. When I'm not certain, I've listed the most credible date first, followed by others in (parentheses). I've placed stars *** before the names of those with songwriting credits.

If you think you can improve the information, please contact me at ruddickatedison.cc.oh.us Please "cc:" the maintainer of the FAQ with the same information: Linda B. (LSBangertataol.com) - remember to substitute @ for "at" in the e-mail addresses. My thanks to the countless Moodies fans who've shared information with me so far, especially the keepers of this FAQ, for their indispensable input and editing.

SOME GENERAL TIDBITS:
The four current Moodies are all naturally athletic. In the early days, the band and its buddies would regularly beat the regular Cobham team in football (soccer for the US audience); Justin Hayward set a sprinting record in his school days; and Graeme and John are competitive golfers. The four long-standing members of the band are also dog lovers. They are essentially self-taught as musicians, none claiming any special training beyond piano lessons or school band activities in childhood.

FOUNDING MEMBERS - The 5 original Moody Blues
1964-1966: the period of rhythm & blues, novelty tunes and "Go Now."

***CLINT WARWICK, bass, voice
b. Albert Eccles, June 25, 1940, in Birmingham
d. May 15, 2004
parents: Albert and Violet
brother: Ray
first wife: Christine (married mid-60s, divorced 1967)
son Paul (b. before 1966 d. 1996) owner/operator of a meat company
son: Lee (b. before 1966) managing editor of a graphic design company
grandsons: Sean and Gary
son: Neal
second wife: ? (divorced)

Formerly with local Birmingham band "The Rainbow." Helped to create the Moodies in 1964 but quit the band in August 1966, became a carpenter and lived near Birmingham. Eccles began his comeback by meeting with fans at the May, 2000 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2002 he launched a now-defunct website at www.clintwarwick.co.uk and on March 14, 2002, released a CD single, "My Life, The Waltz", which is available only from the website. He passed away May 15, 2004.

***MICHAEL THOMAS PINDER, piano, mellotron, guitar, synthesizer, cello, voice
b. Dec. 27, 1941, in Birmingham.
parents: Bert Thomas and Gladys Pinder
brother: Reg
sisters: Maisie, Monica
first wife: Donna (married around 1970; divorced sometime after '72)
son: Daniel (b. Nov. 23, 1971. Electric bassist) married Sarah
grandson: Will (b. 2001)
second wife: Taralee (married early 1980s)
son: Michael Lee (b. early 1979)
son: Matthew (b. early 1981) plays bass and provides backing vocals for a California band called "The Velvet Jones"

Pinder played in El Riot and the Rebels with Ray Thomas and John Lodge in the early 1960s, and worked in a mellotron factory. Later he and Thomas played in a group called the Krew Cats (or Crew Cats), working in many of the German pubs where the Beatles started out. Unfortunately, the Krew Cats went broke and Pinder and Thomas wound up walking back to England. It was third time lucky for Pinder after he co-founded the Moody Blues. He relocated to California around 1974, and quit the Moodies in 1978 after recording Octave.
He worked as a consultant for Atari computers through the 1980s and finally returned to the recording studio to produce new solo albums and two award-winning spoken word albums of children's stories.
He admires the work of Joseph Campbell (mythology professor who was featured on a series of PBS television shows and who consulted on scripts for the second and third "Star Wars" movies). He recommends that we all read Diet for a New America by John Robbins.

***GRAEME EDGE, percussion, electronics and spoken word
b. 4:00 am Mar. 30, 1941, in Rochester, Staffordshire
father: (d. November or December 1999 former music hall singer)
mother: (pianist for silent movies)
first wife: Carol (former model) (m. Jan. 1, 1969; divorced mid-1970)
daughter: Samantha Zara (b. mid-1969; m. July 20, 1996 resides in Hong Kong)
granddaughter: "Tiger" Olivia (b. Nov. 29, 1997)
granddaughter: Jade (b. May 27, 2000)
second wife: Sue (former typist) (m. mid 1970s; divorced mid-1980s)
son: Matthew (b. around 1976 works in banking in London)
third wife: "Commander" Amanda (m. Aug. 13, 1998, after being engaged since around 1991)

Edge started out in Birmingham as a "manager" for other bands ("manager" meant that the band could practice in your home). He filled in when a drummer in one of his bands quit suddenly. Prior to the Moodies, he played in Gerry Levene and the Avengers in Birmingham (along with Roy Wood, later of Electric Light Orchestra). He was also employed as a draughtsman and a pioneer in the use of electronic drums. Graeme is the only founding member still active in the Moodies.
His many hobbies include sailing (especially deep-water craft), golf, war films, aquariums, ultra-light aircraft, sci-fi and he's a confirmed "Trekkie."

***RAY THOMAS, flute, harmonica, sax, oboe, tambourine, voice
b. 5:30 am Dec. 29, 1941, in Stourport-on-Severn
youngest of 4 (?) siblings
wife Gillian Jary (m. 1969; divorced around 1981)
son: Adam (b. May 2, 1973)
daughter: Anna (nicknamed Nancy?) (b.?)
daughter: Zoe (b.?)
grandson: Robert Nathan (b. 2:51 am, Jan. 17, 1997, California, USA)
grandson: Marcus Dylan (b. May 28, 000)

Thomas played in El Riot and the Rebels and the Krew Cats before founding the Moodies. He also worked as a toolmaker. Ray retired from the Moodies after the fall 2002 tour.
Hobbies include fishing (fresh and saltwater), gardening and cooking (all cuisines).

***DENNY LAINE, lead guitar, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, lead voice
b. Brian Hines, Oct. 28, 1944, in a boat off the Jersey coast
first wife: Joanne "JoJo" Alice Patrie (married Nov. 5, 1978)
daughter: Heidi Jo Hines (d.o.b. ?)
reports having a total of 5 children with 4 different women- most recent Significant Other: Helen Grant (b. 1964; lived with Denny 1987-96
daughter: Lucienne (b. 1987)

He fronted Denny Laine and the Diplomats in Birmingham (one bandmate was Bev Bevan, later of Electric Light Orchestra). Co-founded the Moodies, then in 1966 he departed for a series of moderately successful musical ventures (Balls, Ginger Baker's Air Force, some solo albums) and a sojourn in Spain where he was influenced by flamenco. His greatest post-Moodies success came in Paul McCartney's "Wings," during their glory years from the mid-70s to 1980. Since Wings broke up following McCartney's arrest for marijuana in Japan, Denny has worked as a solo artist.

MOODIES, MARK II
1966-78, after the departure of Laine & Warwick: The Flower Power years.

ROD CLARKE, bass
Replaced Clint Warwick on bass for part of 1966. There are a few TV clips with Clarke performing in the band and a concert review in Kink (a Dutch magazine) which pictures him, but, he was quickly replaced with John Lodge.

***JOHN CHARLES LODGE, bass, acoustic guitar, cello, voice
b. morning of July 20, 1942 or 1943, in Birmingham (Although the official website lists his birth year as 1945, Ray Thomas mentioned in an interview (The Other Side of Red Rocks DVD, see Section 8.1) that when they were first in a band together, Ray was 15 and John was 14.)

father: Charles Lodge (d. January 1992)
mother: Olive
wife: Kirsten (b. Denmark; m. July 31, 1968)
daughter: Emily (b. May 18, 1970; has been employed by the Monty Python company, is a scuba diver and in 2001 participated in the BT Global Challenge yacht race on the "VERITAS")
son: Kristian (b. May 27, 1972; marketing professional; formerly worked for Threshold records; reputedly a fine soccer player; and had a leading role in the 1999 critically lauded play "Four Dogs and a Bone". Produced the Access All Areas video for the Moodies. (See Section 8.1

Lodge, when he was "just a young lad," formed El Riot and the Rebels with Thomas and Pinder. He probably would have been the original bass player in the Moodies but, instead, devoted 1962(?)-66 to studying metallurgy at Birmingham Tech. He played briefly with other bands after commencement (Carpetbaggers, The Falcons, and the John Bull Breed - under the name, Johnny Storme). As the bassist that Pinder & Thomas would have wanted in the first place, John was almost automatic as Clint Warwick's replacement.
Lodge enjoys travel (especially in the American west), wine, tennis and, especially, golf; he's played in several pro-am tournaments and has produced a cassette describing how musical rhythms can help the golfer's swing. John also launched his own website in 2000 at www.johnlodge.com

***DAVID JUSTIN HAYWARD, lead guitar, sitar, voice
b. 8:00 am Oct. 14, 1946, in Swindon
father: Fredrick Hayward (b. 1910; d. 1969)
mother: Gwendolyn (Binks) Hayward (b. 1918; d. Jan 1, 2000)
brother: Richard (b. March 1945; d. 1986 at age 41)
nephew: Galen; m. Rosa, 1996
sister: Teresa (b. 1955?)
wife: Ann Marie Guirron (b. Jan 2, 1944; m. Dec 19, 1970; respected amateur golfer)
daughter: Doremi Celeste (b. Dec 3, 1972; m. May 14, 2005 to Sean Vaardall, a writer, in St. Ives, Cornwall; American Studies degree from Birmingham, former VH-1 intern)

Hayward was earning his keep as a musician while still in secondary school, attaining some regional recognition in the trio All Things Bright. His parents (teachers, both of them!) discouraged him from dropping out of high school at 15. So he completed his "O" levels, and at 16, and joined pop veteran Marty Wilde and his wife Joyce (parents of vocalist Kim Wilde) in the Wilde Three, and stayed with them for about two and a half years. Around this time, he reportedly did a short stint as a sales representative for a building supplies firm. A brief solo career in 1966 ended after he responded to an anonymous ad in Melody Maker for a guitarist. The advertiser turned out to be Eric Burdon, who was re-forming the Animals. Burdon didn't audition Hayward but passed his extra resumes along to the Moodies when he learned they needed a new guitarist/vocalist. Justin's was the first and only resume that Thomas/Pinder/Edge examined. He joined in September 1966, and the rest of the band (and their fans) have been thanking fortune ever since.
Justin's hobbies include regular exercise, cooking, watching football (soccer to Americans) and riding (though he does less since he divested himself of a thoroughbred farm sometime between 1977 and 1987). Justin also launched his own website in 2000 at www.justinhayward.com

***PETER KNIGHT, conductor, composer, arranger
b. June 23, 1917, in Exmouth, Devon; d. August 1985
wife: Pat
In 1967, Knight was asked to arrange, in a rock format, Dvorak's "A New World Symphony" featuring the Moodies. Instead, he wrote, arranged and conducted the London Festival Orchestra's contributions to the Moodies Days Of Future Passed. Knight also contributed orchestrations for John Lodge and Justin Hayward's album Blue Jays ("Nights Winters Years," "I Dreamed Last Night" and "Maybe"); and Justin Hayward's solo albums Songwriter ("One Lonely Room" and "Stage Door") and Moving Mountains ("The Best Is Yet To Come" and "Who Knows").
Knight also worked with, among others: the Carpenters, including their concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Barbra Striesand on her Striesand and Other Musical Instruments; and Roman Polanski's movie, "Tess".

TONY CLARKE, producer
b. 1941 in Coventry, England
Produced the Moodies from 1966's "Fly Me High" through Octave in 1978. The band considered him "the sixth Moody Blue." Clarke also produced many songs on Moody members solo albums, including: Songwriter (Justin Hayward); Blue Jays (Justin Hayward & John Lodge); Natural Avenue (John Lodge); and Kick Off Your Muddy Boots (The Graeme Edge Band).
After his relationship with the Moodies ended, Clarke recorded special effects for the movie "Supergirl;" produced Clannad's Legend album; and worked with Rick Wakeman and Nicky Hopkins, among others. Tony has a website at www.tonyclarkestudio.co.uk

TIMOTHY LEARY
b. Oct. 22, 1920; d. May 31, 1996
In the interview portion of the DVD An Audience with Justin Hayward at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (see Section 8.1), Hayward mentions that Leary sat in on tambourine during the Elysian Park Love-in (November 1-2, 1969).

MOODIES, MARK III
1979 - 1991, following departure of Michael Pinder: The "Moraz Years" or "Hired Gun Years - Part 1"

***PATRICK MORAZ, keyboards
b. June 24, 1944, in Morges, Switzerland
daughter: Raina-Alegra (b. around 1977; mother's first name Liane)
wife: Diane (m. around 1978; separated around 1994)
son: David (b. Nov 24 or 27, 1980)

Moraz broke into the rock scene in Yes as the replacement for Rick Wakeman, appearing on only one Yes album, Relayer. Mike Pinder's departure after the Octave recording sessions led to selecting Moraz to play keys on the 1978 tour. Although never legally a member of the band, he remained as chief keyboard player for the Moodies Keys of the Kingdom album and left in 1991.
While with the Moodies, he released solo albums and composed film scores for the "psychological thrillers" genre. Since leaving the Moodies, he's continued as a solo artist and also toured with jazz musicians. An "announcement-only" mailing list was created to provide information about Patrick Moraz's music activities to his fans and friends. Messages are sent as news becomes available. Sign up at groups.yahoo.com/group/MorazNews

PIP WILLIAMS, producer
b. October 7, 1947, in Hillingdon, England
Produced the Moodies Long Distance Voyager (their most immediately successful album) and The Present albums.
Williams has also worked with the likes of Status Quo, Al Green and Kiki Dee.

DOUG LOCK, guitar technician
Toured with the group in the early 80s, his primary job was to keep Justin's EES Gibson and Strat in fine working order. However, the band had him play second guitar parts from offstage in the early 80s, and he contributed bits here and there to The Present (see Section 5.2)

WENNDY MACKENZIE, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1986 - 87 and is now working as a vocal coach. Her website at www.improv.net/Wenndy/index.html lists Justin Hayward and Melissa Manchester among her vocal students.

JANIS LIEBHART, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band 1986 - 87 and is now singing backup to Michael Bolton.

TONY VISCONTI, producer
b. April 24, 1944, in Brooklyn, NY
first wife: Siegrid; divorced
second wife: Mary Hopkin; divorced
third wife: May Pang, m. 1989 (Justin Hayward was best man at the wedding); divorced

Produced the Moodies The Other Side of Life, Sur La Mer and 6 of 12 tracks from the Keys Of The Kingdom recording sessions. He also produced "One Again" on Justin Hayward's solo album Moving Mountains, and worked with Justin on "It Won't Be Easy" and "Outer Space" for the UK television show "Star Cops."
Visconti has also produced, among others, T. Rex, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Annie Haslam and, most recently, Alex Forbes and The Seahorses. Tony maintains a web site at: www.tonyvisconti.com

BIAS BOSHELL, keyboards
b. July 20, (1950?) Tobias (aka Tobey)

Studio musician who has worked with, among others, Barclay James Harvest, Tony Visconti and Kiki Dee (five of her albums; authored several tunes for her including "I Got The Music In Me." (Other Moody links to Kiki Dee on these albums include Pip Williams, Patrick Moraz and "Forever Autumn" authors Paul Vigrass and David Osborne.) Bias recorded as a member of two groups: "Casablanca" (one self-titled album, 1974; Vigrass and Osborne were also members) and "Trees" (two albums: The Garden of Jane Delawney and On The Shore, both in 1970).
Hired as second keyboard player to Patruck Moraz for tours in 1986 and rehired in 1990. Bias assumed first-chair status upon the departure of Patrick Moraz in 1991. Also played some guitar parts, in addition to keyboards, during the "Red Rocks" tours. He participated in the recording of 1991's Keys of the Kingdom and left the Moodies after the April 2001 tour.

GUY ALLISON, keyboards
Hired as backup keyboard player for touring 1987 - 89, between Bias' first two tours. As of 2002 he was touring as a member of the Doobie Brothers and was credited for co-writing one of the songs they performed.

SHAWN MURPHY, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1988 - 90. She is now the lead vocalist with Little Feat since 1994; has been known to cook up some wonderful Cajun food from time to time.

NAOMI STARR, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1988 - 90.

BEKKA BRAMLETT, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band in 1990. Also had a brief stint in Fleetwood Mac and maintains a website at www.bekka-bramlett.com

TERRY WOOD, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band in 1990. She has sung for film and television, and has also backed Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Travis Tritt and many others.

MOODIES, MARK IV
1991 - 2002, following departure of Patrick Moraz: "The Hired Gun Years- Part 2"

PAUL BLISS, keyboards, guitar
b. June 26, 1953
daughter: Amy (b. 1981 or '82)
daughter: Hannah (b. 1984 or '85)

Formerly studio musician (heard on the Hollies' 1983 album What Goes Around); recorded as a member of "Dog Soldier" (one self-titled album, 1975 -- Paul played bass) and leader of "The Bliss Band" (two albums, Dinner with Raoul, (1978); Neon Smiles (date?)). Co-wrote songs for Celine Dion ("If You Asked Me To" 1992) and Olivia Newton-John ("Heart Attack" 1983). Released solo album Edge of Coincidence in 1997.
Hired as second keyboard player in 1991 when Bias Boshell moved to first after the departure of Patrick Moraz. Participated on the recording of 1991's Keys of the Kingdom. He was also a major contributor to Justin Hayward's solo album, The View from the Hill and toured with Justin Hayward's solo band promoting that album. Also played some guitar parts, in addition to keyboards, during the Strange Times tour and beyond. Moved to first keyboard after Bias Boshell's departure in 2001, and is still working for the Moodies. Paul also launched his own website in 2000 at www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/2799

GORDON MARSHALL, drums
b. March 16, 1960
wife: Susan
daughter: Phoebe (b. Sept. 29, 1995)
daughter: Francesca (b. Dec. 1, 1997)

Hired as second drummer in 1991 and still working for the Moodies. He also toured with Justin Hayward's solo band which toured to promote The View From the Hill in which he played drums and flute. Released solo album Marshall in 2000 with support from Bias Boshell and Tracy Graham, and when not touring with the Moodies is the drummer for "TinTin Out" featuring Emma Bunton (aka Baby Spice). Gordon also launched his own website in 2000 at www.gordymarshall.com

JUNE BOYCE, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1991 - 93 (winter casino tour) and quit due to parenthood.

SUE SHATTOCK, female backing vocalist
b. April 1, (?)
Toured with the band, 1991 - 2000 (May UK tour), leaving for family and other recording projects. She released a solo album, Trapped in Paradise under her new stage name "Susan Kay" and launched a website at susankayrecords.com in 2002.

LARRY BAIRD, arranger and orchestra conductor for the Red Rocks concert on September 9, 1992, and was the arranger and conductor for all subsequent tours with the symphony.

TRACY GRAHAM, female backing vocalist
b. February 14, (?)

Toured with the Moodies, 1993 (summer tour) - 2001 (April tour) as a backing vocalist (and the only backing vocalist starting with the fall 2000 tour).

As a child, she acted and sang in West End musicals, and starred in a (UK) TV commercial for the Red-Headed Cindy Doll. She's also worked with Paul Young and ABC, among others. She has released solo albums Up Front in 1996 and Don't Look Down in 2000. Tracy also did a solo shows in London in 2001 and 2002 to support of both her albums, and the 2002 concert was webcast at www.kashmirklub.com Tracy is still very active, most recently with a new group called "Pussy Glamore" (www.pussyglamore.com) and enjoys meeting with the fans, most recently at the 2004 London Hard Rock CafÈ. She also has a website at www.tracygraham.com

DANILO MADONIA, keyboards
Credited with "programming, keyboards, and orchestration" on Strange Times, and "keyboard and programming" on the tracks "Water" and "We Can Fly" on the Journey into Amazing Caves soundtrack. He also performed with the Moodies on "Good Morning America" (August 9, 1999) and "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" (October 25, 1999), assisted in preparations for the world tour to promote Strange Times and assumed soundboard duties on the 2000 tours.

BERNIE (Bernadette) BARLOW, female backing vocalist and "light" keyboards
b. June 26, (?)
A Los Angles studio singer, who has reportedly backed Alanis Morissette, Enya and many others. Toured with the band starting with the August 2001 tour. Bernie can also be seen performing in the live studio band on the season finale of the TV show "Survivor Africa". She maintains a website at www.berniebarlow.com and released a CD, Golden, in 2003, which is available through her website.

MOODIES, MARK V
2002 - present, following departure of Ray Thomas: "The Hired Gun Years- Part 3"

NORDA MULLEN, flute, guitars, backing vocals
b. April 27
Replaced Ray Thomas' flute parts in concert beginning on the March 2003 tour and provided additional guitars and backing vocals. She also provided flute and backing vocals for Justin Hayward's solo shows at the Coach House, San Juan Capistrano on December 3, 1996, and is credited with the flute parts on "In the Quiet of Christmas Morning" and "The Spirit of Christmas" on the album December.
Her extensive list of credits include performing in the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Flute Orchestra, Bach to Blues Trio, The Warner Brothers Symphony, Bahu-Rang, and Dennis Quaid & The Sharks; and in motion pictures and television soundtracks ("Monsters, Inc.", "Meet The Parents", "I Spy", "Death To Smoochy", "Toy Story II", etc.)

JULIE RAGIN, female backing vocalist and "light" keyboards
Filled in for Berne Barlow on the April 2005 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

On to Section 3.4

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