

Electric Light Orchestra
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Members
Current
Rosie Langley
Violin
Jo Webb
Acoustic guitar
Jeff Lynne
Milton McDonald
Guitar
Donavan Hepburn
Drums (drum set)
Iain Hornal
Background vocals
Amy Langley
Cello
Iain Hornal
Percussion
Marcus Byrne
Piano
Lee Pomeroy
Background vocals
Jo Webb
Background vocals
Jess Cox
Cello
Melanie Lewis-McDonald
Percussion
Milton McDonald
Background vocals
Melanie Lewis-McDonald
Background vocals
Iain Hornal
Guitar
Marcus Byrne
Keyboard
Steve Turner
Keyboard
Jo Webb
Keyboard
Lee Pomeroy
Bass guitar
Mike Stevens
Guitar
Mike Stevens
Background vocals
Iain Hornal
Lead vocals
History
Bernie Smith
Keyboard
Mik Kaminski
Violin
Richard Tandy
Keyboard
Mick Wilson
Guitar
Louis Clark
Bill Hunt
Jeff Lynne
Rosie Vela
Background vocals
Martin Smith
Mick Wilson
Background vocals
Dave Morgan
Acoustic guitar
Background vocals
Synthesizer
Richard Tandy
Keyboard
Mike Edwards
Cello
Marc Mann
Guitar
Andy Craig
Cello
Kelly Groucutt
Background vocals
Lead vocals
Bass guitar
Melvyn Gale
Marc Mann
Keyboard
Dave Morgan
Acoustic guitar
Mick Wilson
Percussion
Steve Woolam
Violin
Bev Bevan
Drums (drum set)
Wilfred Gibson
Violin
Chereene Allen
Violin
Peggy Baldwin
Cello
Marc Mann
Background vocals
Hugh McDowell
Cello
Marc Mann
Bev Bevan
Drums (drum set)
Michael d’Albuquerque
Bass guitar
Sarah O’Brien
Cello
Jeff Lynne
Richard Tandy
Keyboard
Roy Wood
Matt Bissonette
Mik Kaminski
Violin
Colin Walker
Cello
Louis Clark
Hugh McDowell
Cello
Gregg Bissonette
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.