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Members

Current

Name
Begin
Occupation

Rosie Langley

2016

Violin

Jo Webb

2017

Acoustic guitar

Jeff Lynne

2014

Milton McDonald

2014

Guitar

Donavan Hepburn

2014

Drums (drum set)

Iain Hornal

2014

Background vocals

Amy Langley

2016

Cello

Iain Hornal

2014

Percussion

Marcus Byrne

2014

Piano

Lee Pomeroy

2014

Background vocals

Jo Webb

2017

Background vocals

Jess Cox

2016

Cello

Melanie Lewis-McDonald

2014

Percussion

Milton McDonald

2014

Background vocals

Melanie Lewis-McDonald

2014

Background vocals

Iain Hornal

2014

Guitar

Marcus Byrne

2014

Keyboard

Steve Turner

2017

Keyboard

Jo Webb

2017

Keyboard

Lee Pomeroy

2014

Bass guitar

Mike Stevens

2014

Guitar

Mike Stevens

2014

Background vocals

Iain Hornal

2014

Lead vocals

History

Name
Begin
End
Occupation

Bernie Smith

2014
2017

Keyboard

Mik Kaminski

1973
1979

Violin

Richard Tandy

2014
2024

Keyboard

Mick Wilson

2013
2014

Guitar

Louis Clark

1974
1981

Bill Hunt

1971
1972

Jeff Lynne

1970
1986

Rosie Vela

2001
2001

Background vocals

Martin Smith

1986
1986

Mick Wilson

2013
2014

Background vocals

Dave Morgan

1981
1982

Acoustic guitar

Background vocals

Synthesizer

Richard Tandy

1972
1986

Keyboard

Mike Edwards

1972
1975

Cello

Marc Mann

2014
2014

Guitar

Andy Craig

1971
1972

Cello

Kelly Groucutt

1974
1983

Background vocals

Lead vocals

Bass guitar

Melvyn Gale

1975
1979

Marc Mann

2014
2014

Keyboard

Dave Morgan

1986
1986

Acoustic guitar

Mick Wilson

2013
2014

Percussion

Steve Woolam

1971
1971

Violin

Bev Bevan

1970
1983

Drums (drum set)

Wilfred Gibson

1972
1973

Violin

Chereene Allen

2013
2014

Violin

Peggy Baldwin

2001
2001

Cello

Marc Mann

2014
2014

Background vocals

Hugh McDowell

1973
1979

Cello

Marc Mann

2001
2001

Bev Bevan

1985
1986

Drums (drum set)

Michael d’Albuquerque

1973
1974

Bass guitar

Sarah O’Brien

2001
2001

Cello

Jeff Lynne

2000
2001

Richard Tandy

2000
2001

Keyboard

Roy Wood

1970
1972

Matt Bissonette

2001
2001

Mik Kaminski

1981
1986

Violin

Colin Walker

1972
1973

Cello

Louis Clark

1983
1986

Hugh McDowell

1972
1972

Cello

Gregg Bissonette

2000
2001

Background vocals

Drums (drum set)

Story of Electric Light Orchestra

The Electric Light Orchestra: A Symphony of Rock and Pop

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), hailing from Birmingham, England, emerged in 1970 as the brainchild of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, alongside drummer Bev Bevan. Their music was a unique blend of pop melodies and elaborate orchestral arrangements, often infused with a futuristic aesthetic.

Following Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne took the reins as the band's sole leader. He meticulously arranged and produced every album while writing nearly all the original material. From this point forward, until their initial breakup in 1986, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboardist Richard Tandy remained the band's core members.

The band's name, a clever pun, references both the "electric light" and the "light orchestral music" popularized by the BBC Light Programme in the 1940s and 1960s. ELO's formation stemmed from Lynne and Wood's shared ambition to create modern rock and pop songs infused with classical influences. It essentially grew from the ashes of Wood's previous band, The Move, where Lynne and Bevan also played.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, ELO amassed a string of top-10 albums and singles. Their most commercially successful album, the double LP Out of the Blue (1977), cemented their status as a force to be reckoned with. Two ELO albums reached the pinnacle of the British charts: the disco-inspired Discovery (1979) and the science-fiction themed concept album Time (1981).

However, in 1986, Lynne's enthusiasm waned, leading him to disband the group. While the band has had various reunions and offshoots since then, the original lineup's influence on music remains undeniable. ELO's unique fusion of rock, pop, and classical elements paved the way for countless artists and continue to resonate with generations of music lovers.

Learn more about Electric Light Orchestra

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