April Lawton (July 30, 1948 – November 23, 2006) was a guitarist and composer who rose to some prominence in the early to mid-1970s as a member of the band Ramatam, which also included at one time former Iron Butterfly guitarist Mike Pinera and the former Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell, as well as Russ Smith (bass, vocals), and Tommy Sullivan (keyboards, reeds, vocals).
[1] Singer Dee Snider claims Lawton was still male while in the band Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge.
[4] Social Security Administration Applications and Claims documents provided by Ancestry.com confirm that April Lawton was born Gregory R. Ferrara, male, on 30 July 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, and used this name for Social Security purposes through 1977.
Lawton stayed with Ramatam for two studio albums, their self-titled debut (1972, Atlantic) and In April Came the Dawning of the Red Suns.
Her personal life remained very private until her death from heart failure at her home on November 23, 2006, aged 58.