List of Uriah Heep members

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Four lineups of Uriah Heep in 1972, 1976, 2008 and 2018.

Uriah Heep are an English rock band from London. Formed in late 1969, the group originally featured vocalist David Byron, guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Ken Hensley, bassist Paul Newton, and drummer Alex Napier.[1] The current line-up consists of Box, alongside keyboardist Phil Lanzon and vocalist Bernie Shaw (both since 1986), Russell Gilbrook (since 2007) and bassist Dave Rimmer (since 2013).

Nigel Olsson replaced Napier in early 1970, with both drummers contributing to the band's debut album ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble.[2] Olsson was replaced by Keith Baker and then Iain Clark, before Lee Kerslake joined as the group's first long-term drummer in late 1971, when Mark Clarke also replaced Newton.[1] Clarke was later replaced by Gary Thain, who first appeared on 1972's Demons and Wizards.[3] Thain was fired from the band in early 1975 due to an "increasing drug problem", which eventually led to his death from a heroin overdose on 8 December that year; he was replaced by John Wetton.[4]

Byron was fired from Uriah Heep in 1976 due to his growing alcohol abuse, which led to his death from liver failure in 1985.[5] He was replaced by John Lawton, as bassist Trevor Bolder also joined during the same period, following Wetton's departure.[6] After tensions arose between Lawton and Hensley, the vocalist left and was replaced by John Sloman, while Kerslake was replaced by Chris Slade shortly after his arrival.[7] Due to disagreements with the addition of Sloman and the band's musical direction, Hensley left the band in 1980 and was briefly replaced by Gregg Dechert.[7][8] By April 1981, only Box remained in Uriah Heep, rebuilding the band with the addition of bassist Bob Daisley, returning drummer Kerslake (both recently departed from Ozzy Osbourne's band), keyboardist John Sinclair (later of Ozzy Osbourne's band with Daisley) and new vocalist Peter Goalby (recently of Trapeze).[9]

After the release of Abominog and Head First, Bolder returned to Uriah Heep in 1983.[10] Goalby and Sinclair left in 1986, with Andy Scott's Sweet keyboardist Phil Lanzon and, briefly, Steff Fontaine taking over on vocals before Bernie Shaw was brought in a few months later.[11][12] Uriah Heep's lineup remained stable until January 2007, when Kerslake was forced to leave the band due to "ongoing health problems".[13] He was replaced by Russell Gilbrook in March.[14] On 21 May 2013, Bolder died of cancer,[15] having taken a touring hiatus due to an operation earlier that year with John Jowitt covering.[16] He was later replaced by Dave Rimmer.[17]

Members

Current members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Mick Box 1969–present
  • guitar
  • backing vocals
all Uriah Heep releases
Phil Lanzon 1986–present
  • keyboards
  • backing and occasional lead vocals
all Uriah Heep releases from Live in Moscow (1988) onwards, except Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997)
Bernie Shaw lead vocals
Russell Gilbrook 2007–present
  • drums
  • percussion
  • backing vocals
all Uriah Heep releases from Wake the Sleeper (2008) onwards
Dave Rimmer 2013–present
  • bass
  • backing vocals
all Uriah Heep releases from Outsider (2014) onwards

Former members

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Ken Hensley 1969–1980 (plus live guest in 2001 and 2015[18]) (died 2020)[19]
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • backing and lead vocals

[20]

  • all Uriah Heep releases from ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) to Conquest (1980)
  • Live in Europe 1979 (1986)
  • Live at Shepperton '74 (1986)
  • Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997)
  • The Magician's Birthday Party (2002)
David Byron 1969–1976 (died 1985) lead and backing vocals
Paul Newton 1969–1971 (plus live guest in 2019)[21]
  • bass
  • backing vocals
Alex Napier 1969–1970 (died 2023) drums ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) all but two tracks
Nigel Olsson[2] 1970
  • drums
  • percussion
...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) two tracks
Keith Baker[1] drums
  • ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) one track on US version
  • Salisbury (1971)
Iain Clark 1970–1971 Look at Yourself (1971)
Lee Kerslake
  • 1971–1979
  • 1981–2007 (plus live guest in 2015[22] and 2018) (died 2020)
  • drums
  • percussion
  • backing vocals
all Uriah Heep releases from Demons and Wizards (1972) to Fallen Angel (1978), and from Abominog (1982) to Magic Night (2004)
Mark Clarke 1971–1972
  • bass
  • backing and lead vocals
Demons and Wizards (1972), 2 tracks only: "The Wizard" and "Why"
Gary Thain 1972–1975 (died 1975)
  • bass
  • occasional backing vocals
  • all Uriah Heep releases from Demons and Wizards (1972) to Wonderworld (1974)
  • Live at Shepperton '74 (1986)
  • Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997)
John Wetton 1975–1976 (died 2017)
  • bass
  • backing and occasional lead vocals
  • piano
  • mellotron
Trevor Bolder
  • 1976–1981
  • 1983–2013 (until his death)
  • bass
  • backing and occasional lead vocals
  • Firefly (1977)
  • Innocent Victim (1977)
  • Fallen Angel (1978)
  • Conquest (1980)
  • Equator (1985)
  • Live in Europe 1979 (1986)
  • all Uriah Heep releases from Live in Moscow (1988) to Spellbinder (1996), and from Sonic Origami (1998) to Official Bootleg Volume Six: Live at the Rock of Ages Festival Germany 2008 (2013)
John Lawton 1976–1979 (plus live substitute in 1995 and 2013; live guest in 2001 and 2019) (died 2021)[19][23][21]
  • lead and backing vocals
  • occasional acoustic guitar
[24]
  • Firefly (1977)
  • Innocent Victim (1977)
  • Fallen Angel (1978)
  • Live in Europe 1979 (1986)
  • The Magician's Birthday Party (2002)
Chris Slade 1979–1981
  • drums
  • percussion
Conquest (1980)
John Sloman
  • lead vocals
  • piano
  • percussion
  • keyboards
Gregg Dechert 1980–1981
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
  • "Love Stealer" (1980)
  • "Think It Over" (1981)
John Sinclair 1981–1985
  • Abominog (1982)
  • Head First (1983)
  • Equator (1985)
Peter Goalby
  • lead vocals
  • occasional acoustic guitar
[25]
Bob Daisley 1981–1983
  • bass
  • backing vocals
Steff Fontaine 1986[11][12] lead vocals none

Substitute musicians

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
John Jowitt 2013 bass Jowitt toured with the band in early 2013, while Bolder underwent an undisclosed operation.[16]
Stefan Berggren 2016 vocals Berggren substituted for Shaw on two occasions in 2016, due to family commitments.[26]
Don Airey 2020 keyboards Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey stood in for Lanzon at two shows in January 2020 after the keyboardist's son died.[27]
Sam Wood 2026–Present
  • guitar
During some European shows in early 2026, Box was sidelined from the group due to health issues.

Session musicians

Image Name Years active Instruments Release contributions
Colin Wood 1969 keyboards ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)[28]
John Fiddy 1970 brass and woodwind arrangement Salisbury (1971)[20]
Manfred Mann 1971 moog synthesizer Look at Yourself (1971)[29]
Ted Osei percussion
Mac Tontoh 1971 (died 2010)
Loughty Amao 1971 (died 1988)
Brian Cole 1972 pedal steel guitar The Magician's Birthday (1972)[30]
Jose Gabriel 1974 synthesizers Wonderworld (1974)[31]
Michael Gibbs orchestral arrangements
Chris Mercer 1978 saxophone Fallen Angel (1978)[32]
Gerry Bron 1979 (died 2012) timpani Conquest (1980)[33]
Frank Ricotti
  • 1983
  • 1988–1989
percussion [34][35]
Maria Zackojiva 1988–1989 Russian spoken words Raging Silence (1989)[35]
Brett Morgan
  • 1988–1989
  • 1990
drums
  • Raging Silence (1989)
  • Different World (1991)
[35][36]
Danny Wood 1990 accordion Different World (1991)[36]
Benny Marshall harmonica
Steve Piggott keyboard programming
Children of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford (as "All God's Children choir") choir
Andrew Willoughby choir conductor
Piet Sielck 1994–1995 additional keyboards Sea of Light (1995)[37]
Pete Beckett
  • additional backing vocals
  • string arrangements
Rolf Köhler 1994–1995 (died 2007) additional backing vocals

Timeline

Lineups

References

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