Loading AI tools
English musician (1943–1976) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Keith Relf (22 March 1943 – 12 May 1976) was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player for rock band the Yardbirds. He then formed the band Renaissance with his sister Jane Relf, the Yardbirds ex-drummer Jim McCarty and ex-The Nashville Teens keyboardist John Hawken.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2009) |
Keith Relf | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | William Keith Relf |
Born | Richmond, England | 22 March 1943
Died | 12 May 1976 33) Hounslow, London, England | (aged
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1956–1976 |
Formerly of | |
Website | www |
Relf was born in the Richmond Institution on 22 March 1943 to Mary Elsie Vickers and William Arthur Percy Relf. Keith had a sister Jane. His father was a builder, while his mother was a housewife.[1]
Relf started playing in bands around the summer of 1956 as a singer, guitarist, and harmonica player.[2]
Relf co-wrote many of the original Yardbirds songs ("Shapes of Things", "I Ain't Done Wrong", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), later showing a leaning towards acoustic/folk music as the sixties unfolded ("Only the Black Rose").[3] He also sang an early version of "Dazed and Confused" in live Yardbirds concerts, after hearing musician Jake Holmes perform the song, which was later recorded by the band's successor group Led Zeppelin.[4]
His debut solo single, "Mr. Zero", peaked at No. 50 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1966.[5]
After the Yardbirds broke up in July 1968, Relf formed the acoustic duo Together, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty, followed immediately by Renaissance (which also featured his sister Jane Relf).[6] After leaving Renaissance in 1970, he started producing other artists: Steamhammer, folk rock band Hunter Muskett, the acoustic world music group Amber, psychedelic band Saturnalia,[7] and blues rock band Medicine Head (with whom he also played bass guitar).[8] In 1974, he formed progressive/rock group Armageddon. Their self-titled debut, Armageddon, was recorded in England and released in the United States on A&M Records. The album's original liner notes used the term "supergroup"; their personnel (besides Relf) included drummer Bobby Caldwell (previously a member of Captain Beyond and Johnny Winter's band), guitarist Martin Pugh (from Steamhammer, The Rod Stewart Album, and later of 7th Order),[9] and bassist Louis Cennamo (also formerly of Renaissance and Steamhammer).[10]
In 1966, he married April Liversidge. They had two sons, Danny and Jason.[11]
Relf died in the basement of his home in 1976 at age 33 from electrocution while playing an ungrounded electric guitar. He had had several health problems throughout his life, including emphysema and asthma. He may have been taking the medications commonly used to treat those diseases at the time, and these may have contributed to his inability to survive the electric shock.[12][13]
He was buried in Richmond Cemetery.[14]
Most sources mistakenly list 14 May, the day that many newspapers reported Relf's death, as the date of his death, but on the official death certificate, he was declared dead on 12 May at West Middlesex Hospital.[15]
Relf's posthumous 1992 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with the Yardbirds was represented by his widow April, and sons Danny and Jason ("Jay").[16]
Most of Relf's recordings were released under the name of the group he was in at the time. However, an early attempt was made to establish him as a solo musician, and two singles came out under his own name in 1966.[17]
A further single appeared in 1989:
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.