The last surviving founding member of the Moody Blues, Mike Pinder, whose innovative use of the Mellotron (a predecessor of the sampler) helped make the band a pioneer of progressive rock, died on Wednesday April 24 at his home in the Sacramento area at the age of 82.
Pinder was born on the 27th of December 1941, in Erdington a suburb of Birmingham, and grew up in Kingstanding. His father was a bus driver, and his mother was a barmaid.
The information regarding his death was confirmed by his son Dan. He said that his father was suffering from breathing difficulties and had been in hospice care for a few days.
The Moody Blues were formed in 1964, with a lineup of Mr. Pinder on Keyboards, Benny Laine on guitar, Graeme Edge on drums, Ray thomas on Flute and Clint Warwick on bass. The group’s “Go Now!”, sung by Mr. Laine rose to No. 10 on the Billboard hot 100.
Mr. Laine and Mr. Warwick left after the release of the Band’s first album in 1965 and was replaced by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. The change in personnel set the stage for a change in direction from R&B-tinged rock to the psychedelic, orchestral sound that the Moody Blues vividly showcased on their breakthrough album, “Days of Future Passed” in 1967.
Before the Moody Blues was formed, Mr. Pinder had worked as a tester in the Mellotron Factory in Birmingham, England. Further, he told the British music website Brumbeat that playing the company’s Mark II model for the first time was “my first man on the moon event”.
Hence, he understood the musical possibilities of using the Mellotron, an electromechanical Keyboard that uses tape loops to simulate the sounds and rhythms of an orchestra, on “Days of Future Passed” and beyond.
After Mike Pinder’s death, Mr. Hayward wrote on Facebook that “Mike was a naturally born musician who could play any style of Music with warmth and love. His reimagining and rebuilding of the Mellotron gave us our identifiable early sound”.
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