(USNewsBreak.com) – The Moody Blues was a famous R&B-based rock band that quickly rose to fame in the 1960s. Their music is electric, and the band supplied novel elements that still inspire bands today. Sadly, the last founding member has passed away at the age of 82.
On Wednesday, April 24, Mike Pinder died at his Sacramento-area home after entering home hospice care in his final days. His son, Dan, confirmed his death. Pinder was born in 1941 in Erdington, Birmingham, to a coach driver father and a barmaid mother. He developed a love of astronomy as a youth, earning him the nickname “Mickey the Moon Boy.”
Pinder became well-known for using the Mellotron, an electro-mechanical keyboard that simulates the rhythms and sounds of an orchestra. Before joining Moody Blues, he actually worked as an instrument tester for the company in Birmingham, England. His experience with it led him to use it creatively in the band, and he even recommended it to John Lennon.
In 1964, the Moody Blues band formed with Denny Laine, Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas, and Clint Warwick rounding out the rest of the group. They produced their debut album in 1964, mostly consisting of covers, including Bessie Banks’ “Go Now!”
Mike Pinder, Moody Blues co-founder and keyboardist, dead at 82 https://t.co/JW8SgI4pya
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The band grew to fame quickly, with its most popular years being from 1967 until 1974 when the group took a voluntary hiatus. They sold more than 50 million records during this time, and their listeners spanned generations, enjoying hits like “Question,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” and “Ride My See-Saw.” Their most famous hit was “Nights in White Satin,” which the band released in 1967 but reissued in 1972, 1979, and 2010.
Pinder also enjoyed a short solo career, releasing two albums, “The Promise” and “Among the Stars.” He also worked as a musical consultant for Atari.
The musician leaves behind his wife, three sons, four grandchildren, and a sister.
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