John Lodge was born on the 20th of July, 1945 in
Birmingham and attended the
Birmingham College of Advanced Technology, where he was an engineering student. John first experienced
rock 'n' roll through American pop musicians like
Jerry Lee Lewis,
Little Richard, and
Chuck Berry, and then
Buddy Holly, who he considered "not only a songwriter but an artist." Buddy Holly's music first introduced John to vocal
harmony.
At age 15, John met
Ray Thomas and later
Mike Pinder. They formed
El Riot and the Rebels, quickly becoming the most popular local band in Birmingham. Ray and Mike wanted to move to
the city but John felt it was necessary to complete his education. During his seperation from them, John formed
The Carpetbaggers (who for a time were going to be
Gene Vincent's backing group) and began writing his own material.
After earning a degree in engineering, he rejoined Ray Thomas who, by that time had formed
The Moody Blues with Mike Pinder and
Graeme Edge. The band had already scored a hit in "
Go Now". Soon after his reunion with Ray, John was asked to play bass for the Moodies in 1966, at the same time as singer/guitarist
Justin Hayward.
John's songwriting for The Moody Blues includes
Ride My See-Saw,
Isn't Life Strange,
I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band),
Steppin' in a Slide Zone,
Talking out of Turn,
Sitting at the Wheel, and
Gemini Dream (with Justin). John and Justin wrote an album without the rest of the band, titled
Blue Jays (get it? Blue Jays?)in 1975 and they toured extensively in England. John then worked on his first solo album
Natural Avenue, which was released in 1977. In 1980 two tracks were released without an album-
Street Cafe and
Threw it All Away. In 1996 Natural Avenue was re-released in the UK on
Pinnacle Records.
Since the Moodies' reunion in 1978 for their eighth album, "
Octave" John has once more been a happy member and major writer for The Moody Blues. Lodge believes that "the group's stage performances have been the key factor in keeping the group's unity and sense of purpose". He believes that the group's unique style and forward-thinking writing, including the symphonic aspects of their music has helped their music stay fresh and meaningful.
"Music is not something you retire from - it's a 24-hour a day existence."
Discography:
With the Moody blues:
Without the Moodies: