List of Uriah Heep members

Uriah Heep are an English rock band from London. Formed in late 1969, the group originally featured vocalist David Byron, guitarist and backing vocalist Mick Box, keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Ken Hensley, bassist Paul Newton, and drummer Alex Napier.^[1] 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]

Two lineups of Uriah Heep onstage in 2008 (top) and 2018 (bottom).

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 Steff Fontaine briefly 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] He was later replaced by Dave Rimmer.^[16]

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		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
	David Byron	1969–1976 (died 1985)	vocals	all Uriah Heep releases from ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) to High and Mighty (1976) Live at Shepperton '74 (1986) Live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (1997)
	Paul Newton	1969–1971 (plus live guest in 2019)	bass backing vocals	...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) Salisbury (1971) Look at Yourself (1971)
	Ken Hensley	1969–1980 (plus live guest in 2001 and 2015^[17]) (died 2020)	keyboards guitar vocals	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)
	Alex Napier	1969–1970	drums	...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
	Nigel Olsson	1970		...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) (two tracks only)
	Keith Baker			...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) (one track only) Salisbury (1971)
	Ian Clarke	1970–1971		Look at Yourself (1971)
	Lee Kerslake	1971–1979 1981–2007 (plus live guest in 2015^[18] and 2018) (died 2020)	drums percussion backing and occasional lead 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 vocals	Demons and Wizards (1972) – one track only
	Gary Thain	1972–1975 (died 1975)	bass 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 vocals piano mellotron	Return to Fantasy (1975) High and Mighty (1976)
	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)	vocals occasional acoustic guitar	Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) Fallen Angel (1978) Live in Europe 1979 (1986) The Magician's Birthday Party (2002)
	John Sloman	1979–1981	vocals piano percussion keyboards	Conquest (1980)
	Chris Slade		drums percussion
	Gregg Dechert	1980–1981	keyboards	"Think It Over" and "My Joanna Needs Tuning (Inside Out)" (1980)
	Bob Daisley	1981–1983	bass backing vocals	Abominog (1982) Head First (1983)
	John Sinclair	1981–1985	keyboards backing vocals	Abominog (1982) Head First (1983) Equator (1985)
	Peter Goalby		vocals occasional acoustic guitar
	Steff Fontaine	1986	vocals	A Time of Revelation: 25 Years On (1996)

Touring 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.^[19]
	Stefan Berggren	2016	vocals	Berggren substituted for Shaw on two occasions in 2016, due to family commitments.
	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.^[20]

Session musicians

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Colin Wood	1969	keyboards	...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
	John Fiddy	1970	brass and woodwind arrangement	Salisbury (1971)
	Manfred Mann	1971	moog synthesizer	Look at Yourself (1971)
	Osibisa Ted Osei Mac Tontoh Loughty Amao		percussion
	Brian Cole	1972	pedal steel guitar	The Magician's Birthday (1972)
	Jose Gabriel	1974	synthesizers	Wonderworld (1974)
	Michael Gibbs		orchestral arrangements
	Chris Mercer	1978	saxophone	Fallen Angel (1978)
	Gerry Bron	1979 (died 2012)	timpani	Conquest (1980)
	Frank Ricotti	1983 1988–1989	percussion	Head First (1983) Raging Silence (1989)
	Maria Zackojiva	1988–1989	Russian spoken words	Raging Silence (1989)
	Brett Morgan	1988–1989 1990 (died 2007)	drums	Raging Silence (1989) Different World (1991)
	Danny Wood	1990	accordion	Different World (1991)
	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)
	Pete Beckett		additional backing vocals string arrangements
	Rolf Köhler	1994–1995 (died 2007)	additional backing vocals
	Pip Williams	1998	additional arrangements	Sonic Origami (1998)

Timeline

Lineups

Dates are taken from the band's official website.^[21] Member changes are highlighted in bold.

Period	Members	Studio albums
Autumn 1969 – January 1970	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Paul Newton – bass, backing vocals Alex Napier – drums Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals	...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
January – February 1970	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Paul Newton – bass, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Nigel Olsson – drums	...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970) ("Lucy Blues" and "Dreammare" only)
February – October 1970	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Paul Newton – bass, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Keith Baker – drums	Salisbury (1971)
October 1970 – November 1971	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Paul Newton – bass, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Iain Clarke – drums	Look at Yourself (1971)
November 1971 – February 1972	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Mark Clarke – bass, vocals	Demons and Wizards (1972) ("The Wizard" and "Why" only)
February 1972 – February 1975	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Gary Thain – bass, backing vocals	Demons and Wizards (1972) The Magician's Birthday (1972) Sweet Freedom (1973) Wonderworld (1974)
March 1975 – August 1976	David Byron – vocals Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals John Wetton – bass, vocals, keyboards	Return to Fantasy (1975) High and Mighty (1976)
September 1976 – October 1979	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals John Lawton – vocals	Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) Fallen Angel (1978)
November 1979 – May 1980	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitar, vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals John Sloman – vocals Chris Slade – drums	Conquest (1980)
July 1980 – April 1981	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals John Sloman – vocals Chris Slade – drums Gregg Dechert – keyboards	"Love Stealer," "Think It Over," and "My Joanna Needs Tuning (Inside Out)" only
April 1981 – April 1983	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Bob Daisley – bass, backing vocals John Sinclair – keyboards, backing vocals Peter Goalby – vocals	Abominog (1982) Head First (1983)
May 1983 – November 1985	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals John Sinclair – keyboards, backing vocals Peter Goalby – vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals	Equator (1985)
November 1985 – July 1986	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals	none
July – September 1986	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals Phil Lanzon – keyboards, backing vocals Steff Fontaine – vocals
September 1986 – January 2007	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Lee Kerslake – drums, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals Phil Lanzon – keyboards, backing vocals Bernie Shaw – vocals	Raging Silence (1989) Different World (1991) Sea of Light (1995) Sonic Origami (1998)
March 2007 – May 2013	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Trevor Bolder – bass, backing vocals Phil Lanzon – keyboards, backing vocals Bernie Shaw – vocals Russell Gilbrook – drums, backing vocals	Wake the Sleeper (2008) Into the Wild (2011)
May 2013 – present	Mick Box – guitar, backing vocals Phil Lanzon – keyboards, backing vocals Bernie Shaw – vocals Russell Gilbrook – drums Dave Rimmer – bass, backing vocals	Outsider (2014) Living the Dream (2018) Chaos & Colour (2023)

References

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Uriah Heep: Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
2. "Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble - Uriah Heep: Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
3. "Uriah Heep: The Story (February 1972 - February 1975)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
4. Lifton, Dave (22 August 2013). "Gary Thain of Uriah Heep – Rockers Who Died at Age 27". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire Network. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
5. Ankeny, Jason. "David Byron: Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
6. "Uriah Heep: The Story (September 1976 - October 1979)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
7. "Uriah Heep: The Story (November 1979 - May 1980)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
8. "Uriah Heep: The Story (July 1980 - September 1980)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
9. "Uriah Heep: The Story (April 1981 - January 1982)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
10. Schneider, Marc (21 May 2013). "Spiders From Mars Bassist Trevor Bolder Dies". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
11. "Uriah Heep: The Story (July 1986 - September 1986)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
12. "Uriah Heep: The Story (1986 - 2007)". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
13. "Uriah Heep Parts Ways With Drummer Lee Kerslake". Blabbermouth.net. 31 January 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
14. "Uriah Heep Announces New Drummer". Blabbermouth.net. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
15. Hartmann, Graham (21 May 2013). "Uriah Heep/David Bowie Bassist Trevor Bolder Dies At 62". Loudwire. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
16. Giles, Jeff (17 August 2015). "Uriah Heep Announce One-Off Reunion Show with Former Members". Ultimate Classic Rock. Loudwire. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
17. MetalTalk (2020-10-16). "Uriah Heep Conquer Moscow With Ken Hensley And Lee Kerslake Reunion Show | MetalTalk - Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews". MetalTalk - Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews | We are MetalTalk and we publish Rock 'n Roll. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
18. MetalTalk (2020-10-16). "Uriah Heep Conquer Moscow With Ken Hensley And Lee Kerslake Reunion Show | MetalTalk - Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews". MetalTalk - Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews | We are MetalTalk and we publish Rock 'n Roll. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
19. "Uriah Heep Bassist To Undergo Surgery, Temporary Replacement Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
20. "Uriah Heep – Phil Lanzon To Miss Shows After Son's Death; Deep Purple's Don Airey To Fill In". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. January 11, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
21. "Uriah Heep: The Story". Uriah Heep. Retrieved 5 November 2017.

External links

• Uriah Heep official website