Roy Lynes

Roy Alan Lynes (born 25 October 1943, Redhill, Surrey)^[1] was the keyboardist^[2] and occasional singer with Status Quo (originally The Spectres then Traffic Jam). He joined the band in 1964/1965, two years after its foundation.^[3][4]

He appeared on Status Quo's first three albums, Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo, Spare Parts and Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon, and wrote "To Be Free",^[5] the B-side of the second Quo single, "Black Veils of Melancholy".^[6][7] The track Umleitung was a co-composition with Alan Lancaster, but wasn't released until the first album subsequent to Lynes' departure, Dog Of Two Head in 1971. He left the band in 1970,^[8][9] and was eventually replaced by Andy Bown in 1976.^[10]

According to the group's producer John Schroeder, who wrote the booklet notes for the 3-CD compilation The Early Years, Lynes was 'the quietest member of the group' and 'somehow always seemed to be the odd one out'. He left the group in 1970 when he fell in love whilst on tour, claiming that he could see how serious the other band members (Francis Rossi, Alan Lancaster, Rick Parfitt and John Coghlan) were about fame and glory, and that he just wanted to settle down to a life with his newfound love.^{[11][12][13][14]}

In the group's autobiography Just For The Record (1993), Rick Parfitt said Lynes was 'a bit laid back, the Open University type who liked tinkering and finding out about things,' and Francis Rossi remarked that he showed up at a gig they were playing in New Zealand about ten years later to say hello; 'He seemed a much happier bloke.'

He is still active in Australia and has continued to perform in his own right. On the Status Quo 2000 tour of Australia, Lynes played keyboards with Quo on stage in Brisbane. Lynes has also featured occasionally on keyboards and vocals with Australian Quo tribute band, Statoz Quo.^[15][16]

References