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Trevor Bolder

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Trevor Bolder
Bolder in Milan, 9 November 2008
Bolder in Milan, 9 November 2008
Background information
Born(1950-06-09)9 June 1950
Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England
Died21 May 2013(2013-05-21) (aged 62)
GenresHard rock, progressive rock, glam rock, heavy metal, R&B
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)Bass, trumpet, vocals
Years active1963–2013
LabelsRCA

Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock bassist, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with The Spiders from Mars, the one-time backing band for David Bowie, although he also played alongside a variety of musicians from the early 1970s.

Biography

Bolder was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England.[1] His father was a trumpet player and other members of his family were also musicians. He played cornet in the school band[2] and was active in his local R&B scene in the mid 1960s. Inspired by The Beatles, in 1964 he formed his first band with his brother and took up the bass guitar.[3]

He first came to prominence in The Rats, which also featured fellow Hull musician Mick Ronson on lead guitar. His big break arrived in 1971, when he replaced Tony Visconti in David Bowie's backing band, which would soon be known as the Spiders from Mars. He subsequently appeared in D. A. Pennebaker's 1973 documentary and concert movie Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He is name-checked as "Wierd" (Bowie's stage nickname for Bolder) in ythe song Ziggy Stardust. Boulder, a down-to-earth Northerner, was an unlikely recruit to Bowie's band, and "never looked confortable as a glam-rock mannequin, tottering behind Ziggy Stardust in platform boots and a rainbow-hued outfit of latex and glitter".[3]

Bolder's bass (and occasional trumpet) work appeared on the studio albums Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), and Pin Ups (1973), the Spiders' swan song with their leader.[1][4] He went on to play on Ronson's 1974 album Slaughter on 10th Avenue which made the British Top Ten.

In 1976 Bolder joined Uriah Heep, replacing John Wetton. Bolder's tenure with Uriah Heep was, initially, relatively short-lived. Although he did contribute to the albums Firefly, Innocent Victim, Fallen Angel and Conquest, when the line-up that had recorded the latter disbanded Bolder alone was left with Mick Box, guitarist, founder-member and legal owner of the band's name. The attempt to put a new line-up together temporarily stalled and Bolder, needing to earn a living, accepted an offer in 1981 to join Wishbone Ash. Bolder had, coincidentally, again swapped places with John Wetton, becoming The Ash's bass player for their 1982 album Twin Barrels Burning. It was another short-lived connection, as by 1983 he returned to the rhythm section with Uriah Heep, playing on the Head First tour (although Bob Daisley played on the album) and all albums since.[4]

As well as his usual bass playing and backing vocal duties, Bolder also produced Heep's 1991 album Different World.[5]

In 2012 and early 2013, Bolder worked with Stevie ZeSuicide (Steve Roberts of the band U.K. Subs) as producer on singles "Wild Trash" (co-writer with ZeSuicide), "Lady Rocker" and a cover of "Ziggy Stardust".[6] Bolder also played on these tracks.

Bolder died in May 2013 from cancer. He had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer earlier that year.[7]

Bolder playing a Fender Precision Bass signature bass guitar in 2006

Discography

With David Bowie
With Cybernauts
  • Cybernauts Live
With Dana Gillespie
  • Weren't Born a Man
With Ken Hensley
  • Free Spirit
  • From Time to Time
With Mick Ronson
With The Spiders from Mars
  • Spiders From Mars (1976)
With Uriah Heep
With Wishbone Ash

References

  1. ^ a b "Biography". nndb.com. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  2. ^ DDME Interview with Bolder 2003. Retrieved 24 May 2013
  3. ^ a b "Trevor Boulder", The Times (Obituaries), 23 May 2013, p.67.
  4. ^ a b Hill, Gary. "Trevor Bolder". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Allmusic ((( Trevor Bolder > Credits )))".
  6. ^ "Stevie ZeSuicide". Steviezesuicide.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Trevor Bolder dead at 62". Classicrockmagazine.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
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