Long John Baldry

John «Long John» William Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where «Let the Heartaches Begin» reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald «You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’» reached No. 2 in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death. There he continued to make records and do voiceover work. He was the voice of Dr. Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Blues bands of the 1960s

Born John William Baldry in England, he grew to 2.01m (6ft 7in) that resulted in the nickname «Long» John. Gifted with a deep, rich voice, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing blues in clubs.[citation needed]

He sometimes appeared on Eel Pie Island, on the Thames at Twickenham and at the Station Hotel in Richmond, one of the Rolling Stones’ earliest gigs.

In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B at the Marquee. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the R&B at the Marquee album.The Rolling Stones supported Baldry in their first concert at the Marquee Club. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing The Stones on their US-only live album, Got Live if You Want It!, in 1966.

Baldry became friends with Paul McCartney after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to play on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials.

In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Jimmy Page on guitar and Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies. It became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited after Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham station after Stewart had been to a gig at Eel Pie Island.

In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Dean and his surname from Baldry.

Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s when homosexuality was still criminalised and medicalised. Baldry supported Elton John in coming to terms with his own sexuality. In 1978 his album Baldry’s Out announced his formal coming out, and he addressed sexuality issues on «A Thrill’s a Thrill», a song on the L.P.

Solo artist

In 1967, he recorded a pop song «Let the Heartaches Begin» that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled «Mexico», which was the theme of the UK Olympic team that year. «Let the Heartaches Begin» made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Bluesology broke up in 1968, with Baldry continuing his solo career and John forming a songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. In 1969, John tried to commit suicide after relationship problems with a woman. Taupin, who is straight, and Baldry, who was openly gay, found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying the woman, helping make John comfortable with his sexuality. The song «Someone Saved My Life Tonight» from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about the experience.

In 1971, John and Stewart each produced one side of It Ain’t Easy which became Baldry’s most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album charts. The album featured «Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll» which became his most successful song in the US. John’s first tour of the US was this time. The band included, Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears, and Sammy Mitchell. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album Everything Stops For Tea which made the lower reaches of the US album charts. The same year, Baldry worked with ex-Procol Harum guitarist Dave Ball.

Baldry had mental health problems and was institutionalised. The 1979 album Baldry’s Out was recorded after his release. He played his last live show in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 July 2004, at Barristers Hall with guitarist Bobby Cameron. The show was produced by Andrew Myers. They played to a small group, some came from Texas.Two years previously the two had a 10-venue sell-out tour of Canada. Baldry’s final UK Tour as ‘The Long John Baldry Trio’ concluded with a performance on Saturday 13th November 2004 at The King’s Lynn Arts Centre, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. The trio comprised of LJB, Butch Coulter on harmonica and Dave Kelly on slide guitar.

Television

In 1985, he lent his voice to the show Ewoks. Since then Baldry’s voice has appeared in many other animated series.

1985 — Star Wars: Ewoks as Additional Voices
1986 — Star Wars: Droids as The Great Heep
1989 — Salty’s Lighthouse as Top Hat, Hercules and Stanley/Chooch
1989 — Dragon Warrior as Additional Voices
1989 — Captain N: The Game Master ’ as The King
1990 — Madeline as Additional Voices
1991 — The New Adventures of He-Man as Treylus
1991 — Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars as Komplex
1992 — Conan the Adventurer as Wrath-Amon
1994 — ReBoot as Captain Capacitor
1996 — Sonic Christmas Blast as Dr. Ivo Robotnik
1998 — Sonic Underground as Moby Deep
1999 — Sabrina, the Animated Series as Additional Voices
1999 — Toad Patrol as Mistle Toad
1999 — Spider-Man Unlimited as Dirwood Bromley
2002 — He-Man and the Masters of the Universe as Azdar
2003 — X-Men: Evolution as Apocalypse

Canadian citizenship

After time in New York City and Los Angeles in 1978, Baldry settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became Canadian. He toured the west coast, as well as the U.S. Northwest. Baldry also toured the Canadian east, including one 1985 show in Kingston, Ontario, where audience members repeatedly called for the title track from his 1979 album Baldry’s Out! - to which he replied, «I’ll say he is!»

In 1979, he teamed with Seattle singer Kathi McDonald to record a version of The Righteous Brothers’ «You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin», following which McDonald became part of his touring group for two decades. The song made the lower reaches of the US Billboard charts but was a top 5 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain label. His 1997 album Right To Sing The Blues won a Juno Award in the Blues Album of the Year category in the Juno Awards of 1997.

Death

Baldry died on 21 July 2005, in a Vancouver hospital of a chest infection.