Tomorrow, May 4th, marks the 60th anniversary of The Moody Blues' formation in Birmingham, England.
In 1964, singer-guitarist Denny Laine left The Diplomats and joined up with Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge and Clint Warwick. Hoping to have a brewery called Mitchells & Butlers sponsor the group, they called themselves The M&B Five.
The initial lineup had success with their second single, a cover of the American R&B song "Go Now," their only number-one in England. But that lineup didn't last long -- in mid-1966 Laine and Warwick left and were replaced by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. Laine would eventually become a member of Paul McCartney's band, Wings, often singing "Go Now" at their shows.
The reconstituted band found its footing in 1967 with Days of Future Passed, launching the career that landed the Moodies in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
They last performed on November 2nd, 2018 at a corporate show in La Jolla, California, followed by drummer Graeme Edge's retirement. While he gave his blessing for Hayward and Lodge to continue, they decided to go off on their own.
Hayward starts a U.S. tour on June 18th in Sacramento, California, and Lodge follows on July 12th in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
Graeme Edge died on November 11th, 2021 at the age of 80, and Mike Pinder passed 2 weeks ago, on April 24th, at the age of 82.
All the other members of the band are deceased with the exception of keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who played with them from 1978 to 1991.