Robin Trower was born on 9 March 1945. He attended school in Southend with Gary Brooker and Chris Copping, and formed his first group – The Paramounts – with them and drummer Mick Brownlee and singer Bob Scott.
The Paramounts disbanded in 1966, with Trower rejoining Brooker in Procol Harum.
He spent five years with the band, although the group’s “classical” musical inclinations in no way resembled his own.
Trower released his debut solo album, Twice Removed From Yesterday, in 1973. His most discernible influence was Jimi Hendrix – thick, luscious tones drenched with tremolo and sustain, obtaining the maximum mileage from each note.
His three-piece group (also named Robin Trower, no doubt in a fit of humility) included Glaswegian bassist/vocalist Jim Dewar (ex-Stone The Crows) and West Indian drummer Reg Isadore (ex-Quiver).
Trower experienced more success in the US (where he racked up gold and platinum sales) than in his native England, where the British music press were always ambivalent towards him and insisted on “Hendrix imitator” taunts. As a result, he rarely performed in the UK and toured instead in America where he could make $200,000 a month and sell over a million albums.
In his late 60s Trower released Playful Heart (2010), an album of original compositions, and Roots and Branches (2013), a selection of covers (including BB King‘s The Thrill Is Gone, Willie Dixon‘s Little Red Rooster, and Albert King‘s Born Under A Bad Sign) with a handful of originals.
