Roxy Music are an English rock band formed by in 1970 by singer Bryan Ferry and bassist Graham Simpson, who were soon joined by saxophonist Andy Mackay, synthesizer player Brian Eno, guitarist Roger Bunn and drummer Dexter Lloyd.
In November 1970, Bryan Ferry, who had just lost his job teaching ceramics at a girls' school for holding impromptu record-listening sessions,[1] advertised for a keyboardist to collaborate with him and Graham Simpson, a bassist he knew from his Newcastle art-college band, the Gas Board.
Although Eno was a non-musician, he could operate a synthesizer and owned a Revox reel-to-reel tape machine, so Mackay convinced him to join the band as a technical adviser.
Rounding out the original sextet were guitarist Roger Bunn (who had issued the well-regarded solo studio album Piece of Mind earlier in 1970)[2] and drummer Dexter Lloyd, a classically trained timpanist.
In the spring of that year, Lloyd left the band, and an advertisement was placed in Melody Maker saying "wonder drummer wanted for an avant rock group".
[5] In early February 1972, O'List quit the group abruptly after an altercation with Paul Thompson, which took place at their audition for David Enthoven of E.G. Management.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Manzanera had learned their entire repertoire and as a result, he was immediately hired as O'List's permanent replacement, joining on 14 February 1972.
[6] During the first half of 1972, bassist Graham Simpson became increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative, which led to his leaving the band almost immediately after the recording of the debut album.
[14] Roxy continued as a core trio of Ferry, Mackay and Manzanera, augmented by a variety of musicians over the next few years including Alan Spenner, Gary Tibbs, Paul Carrack, drummer Andy Newmark and guitarist Neil Hubbard.
[17] Their 2003 tour included returning musicians Good, Spedding and Thornton, along with Mark Smith (bass), Louise Peacock (violin, keyboards) and Michelle John and Sharon White (backing vocals).
[18] Good, Spedding, Thornton and Peacock also stayed for their 2005 tour, alongside David Williams (guitar) Guy Pratt (bass) and Sarah Brown and Me'sha Bryan (backing vocals).
[20] Roxy Music remained inactive until 2010 when they toured again with a band of Colin Good (piano and keyboards), Oliver Thompson (guitar), Sewuese Abwa Hannah Kemoh, Aleysha Lei (Gordon) (backing vocals), Anna Phobe (violin), Jerry Meehan (bass)[21] and for three dates, Andy Newmark (drums).
[24] On 29 March 2019, Roxy Music were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ferry, Mackay, Manzanera and Eddie Jobson performing a six-song set at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.