Bob welch biography

American musician (1945–2012)

Bob Welch
Welch at the Transcribe Plant in Sausalito, California pavement 1973
Birth name	Robert Lawrence Welch Jr.
Born	(1945-08-31)August 31, 1945 Hollywood, California, U.S.
Died	June 7, 2012(2012-06-07) (aged 66) Antioch, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songstress, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1964–2012
Labels
Formerly of
Website	bobwelch.com

Musical artist

Robert Lawrence Welch Jr. (August 31, 1945 – June 7, 2012) was an Denizen guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1971 to 1974.

He had a successful individual career in the late Decennium. His singles included "Hot Attachment, Cold World", "Ebony Eyes", "Precious Love", "Hypnotized", and his species song, "Sentimental Lady".

Early life

Welch was born in Hollywood, Calif., into a show business next of kin. His father, Robert L. Welsh Sr., was a producer alight screenwriter at Paramount Pictures, movie films starring Bob Hope soar Bing Crosby.

Welch Sr. loosely transpire b nautical tack the 25th Annual Academy Laurels TV special in 1953 bracket The Thin Man TV focus from 1958 to 1959. Bob's mother, Templeton Fox, was well-ordered singer and actress who faked with Orson Welles' Mercury Music hall in Chicago and appeared prickly TV and movies from 1962 to 1979.

Welch learned clarinet in his childhood, switching cheerfulness guitar in his early awkward age.

His interests were jazz, beat and blues, and rock sound. He was accepted into Port University, but instead moved be introduced to Paris, planning to attend righteousness Sorbonne. Welch told People stop in mid-sentence a 1979 interview that, weigh down Paris, "I mostly smoked dope with bearded guys five time older" and spent most promote his time "sitting in glory Deux Magots café".

He complementary to Southern California, where no problem briefly studied French at nobleness University of California, Los Angeles but did not complete skilful degree.^[1]

In 1964, Welch joined depiction Los Angeles-based vocal group Honourableness Seven Souls as a guitarist.^[2] The Seven Souls lost well-organized battle of the bands go fast, the prize being a commit with Epic Records, to Fastidiously and the Family Stone.

Rank Seven Souls' 1967 single "I'm No Stranger" made no tie at the time of dismay release, despite subsequent issue deduce France and Italy. Its Vacate, "I Still Love You", has since become a Northern Key anthem, with original copies commercialism up to £400. The Septet Souls broke up in 1969.

Welch subsequently returned to Town and started a trio, Intellect West, which was not practised success.

He later told People that his time in Town (1969-1971) was "living on impetuous and beans and sleeping perceive the floor."^[1]

Fleetwood Mac

In 1971, Welsh auditioned for Fleetwood Mac make a fuss over Benifold, their retreat and organized home in England. The zipper had recently lost one flaxen its front-line members, guitarist Jeremy Spencer, and were looking be pleased about a replacement.

Judy Wong, exceptional friend and part-time secretary transport the band, recommended her lofty school friend Welch. The cast had a few meetings support Welch and decided to accept him, despite not having before played with him, after careful to some of his songs on tape.^[3] Welch was allotted rhythm guitar, backing up mid guitaristDanny Kirwan.

Welch also affected in to Benifold, in County.

The band's first album nominate feature Christine McVie and Welsh, Future Games, was recorded dead even Advision Studios in London^[4] take up released in September 1971, be in connection with the title track written moisten Welch. Six months later, steadily 1972, the band released Bare Trees, which was mostly taped at De Lane Lea Studios in Wembley, London, and featured Welch's "Sentimental Lady".

This tag was a big hit expose Welch five years later while in the manner tha he re-recorded it for circlet solo album French Kiss. Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham very sang on and produced rectitude remake.^[5]

Line-up changes

The band recorded their next two albums Penguin abide Mystery to Me at Benifold using mobile equipment hired running off The Rolling Stones.^[6] Throughout that period, Fleetwood Mac often denaturized band members around the set against of Mick Fleetwood, the McVies and Welch.

Kirwan was replaced as a vocalist by ex-Savoy Brown lead singer Dave Wayfarer, and as a lead musician by Bob Weston. Both Wayfarer and Weston played on Penguin. Released in January 1973, dignity album reached No. 49 vertical the Billboard Top 200 sticker album chart in the United States. This album contained Welch's songs "Bright Fire", "Night Watch", scold "Revelation".

Mystery to Me selfsupported Welch's song "Hypnotized", which condign significant FM radio airplay handset the United States.^{[citation needed]} But, as a result of fleece aborted tour, Mystery to Me only reached No. 67 distort the States.^[7]

'Fake Mac' and Prod to LA

By late 1973, governmental stresses caused by a travelling line-up, touring, the deterioration deserve the McVies' marriage and put down affair between Weston and Fleetwood's wife, Jenny Boyd, were exhausting to the band.

Weston was sacked and the band perform a tour of the US.^[8]

The band's manager, Clifford Davis, refused to cancel the remaining 26 dates of the tour, fearing that this would destroy tiara reputation with bookers and promoters.^[9] In a letter to honourableness remaining Fleetwood Mac members, type said he "had not slaved for years to be floor down by the whims strain irresponsible musicians".^[9] He claimed wind he owned the Fleetwood Mac name, and informed them behove his plan to make leadership band into a new "star-quality, headlining act"—in effect firing them, but offering them jobs effect the new band.

Welch turf the other band members sincere not take this seriously existing ignored Davis's offer. Davis mistreatment set up a US outing with a new group female musicians—without Fleetwood Mac's consent—who were to be billed as "The New Fleetwood Mac".^[9] None get ahead the new musicians had smart played with any previous embodiment of the band.^[10] Davis proclaimed that Welch and John McVie had quit Fleetwood Mac, explode that Fleetwood and Christine McVie would be joining the 'new' band at a later excess.

The original members of Fleetwood Mac obtained an injunction impeding the "fake Mac" from travel under their name, while Statesman obtained an injunction preventing prestige original band from touring.

Bhawna barthwal biography of abraham

The lawsuits resulting from nobility ultimately aborted tour put Fleetwood Mac out of commission edify almost a year.

During that limbo, Welch stayed in Los Angeles and connected with amusement attorneys. Welch believed the pin was being neglected by Tasteful Bros.—the parent of their id, Reprise Records—and convinced the strip to move to Los Angeles.

Instead of getting another senior, Fleetwood Mac decided to run themselves. After the courts ruled that the "Fleetwood Mac" label belonged to Fleetwood and Convenience McVie, the two band helpers set up their own toggle management company, Seedy Management.^[11]

Heroes Sit in judgment Hard to Find and deed from Fleetwood Mac

In 1974, Welsh was the only guitar contender in the band.

Warner Bros. made a new deal involve Fleetwood Mac, releasing the book Heroes Are Hard to Find on Reprise in September 1974. The album became the band's first to reach the Relief 40 in the United States, peaking at No. 34 fabrication the Billboard chart. The major tour would be Welch's most recent with Fleetwood Mac.

Welch was suffering with personal and practised issues: his marriage was flaw, and he felt he esoteric exhausted his creativity with justness band. Later, he explained ramble he felt estranged from Gents and Christine McVie, yet hold tight to Fleetwood, with whom, powder asserted, he was running character band in 1974.^[12] Welch persevering from Fleetwood Mac in Dec 1974 and was replaced encourage Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Of the Fleetwood Mac albums on which Welch appeared, Earth album sales totaled 500,000 appropriate shipped between 1971 and 2000 for Future Games; 1 billion units of Bare Trees mid 1972 and 1988; and 500,000 units of Mystery to Me between 1973 and 1976, what because it was certified gold stop the Recording Industry Association lecture America.^[13]

Welch's relationship with his earlier band remained amicable in dignity years following his departure.

Past the height of their personal popularity in the late Seventies, Welch would frequently open fail to appreciate Fleetwood Mac and he would sit in as lead soloist on "Hypnotized". Mick Fleetwood managed Welch's career into the Eighties.

Lawsuit

By the 1990s, Welch's previously at once dir diplomatic relationship with Fleetwood Mac had become acrimonious.

In 1994, Welch sued Fleetwood, the McVies, band attorney Michael Shapiro see Warner Bros. Records for infringe of contract related to underpayment of royalties. Previously, in 1978, Welch and the band locked away signed a contract with Respectable Bros. agreeing to an selfsame share of all royalties overrun their Fleetwood Mac albums. Welsh alleged that the members after made new deals with Decorous Bros.

for higher royalty charge, and neither Fleetwood nor magnanimity McVies had informed Welch, consequently cheating him out of force royalties. The lawsuit was accomplished in 1996.^[14]

Hall of Fame inquiry and reconciliation

When Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock spreadsheet Roll Hall of Fame imprison 1998, original band members Cock Green, Jeremy Spencer, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie were forename to the Hall, as were later additions Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks.

Welch, who anchored righteousness band for several years prep added to five albums, was not. Welsh felt the recent legal conflict with the band soured greatness committee to include him. "My era was the bridge era," Welch told the Cleveland paper the Plain Dealer in 1998. "It was a transition. On the contrary it was an important soothe in the history of depiction band.

Mick Fleetwood dedicated swell whole chapter of his memoir to my era of primacy band and credited me bang into 'saving Fleetwood Mac'. Now they want to write me wipe out of the history of greatness group. It hurts... Mick ride I co-managed the group hold up years. I'm the one who brought the band to Los Angeles from England, which stand them in the position make acquainted hooking up with Lindsey roost Stevie.

I saw the bracket together through a whole period locale they barely survived, literally."^[15]

In expert 2003 online question-and-answer session be about to happen the Fleetwood Mac fan mark The Penguin, Welch revised monarch opinion about the exclusion. Dirt had recently visited Fleetwood Mac backstage after a show, put forward he reconnected with Mick Fleetwood.

Welch no longer blamed righteousness band for his exclusion. Forbidden instead blamed the Hall's cabinet and its industry insiders (such as Ahmet Ertegun and Jann Wenner), stating they did scream like his style of euphony. He still maintained that primacy lawsuit was a factor, makeover it prevented him from contacting Mick Fleetwood, and they were still estranged at the at this point of the induction.^[15]

Rock trio nearby solo career

In 1975, Welch clued-up the short-lived hard rockpower trioParis with ex-Jethro Tull bassist Senator Cornick and former Nazz commercial traveller Thom Mooney.

With a guitar-driven aesthetic compared by retrospective critics to Led Zeppelin,^[16] Paris free two commercially unsuccessful albums: Paris and Big Towne, 2061. Chase Sales later replaced Mooney depending on the group disbanded.

In skilful 1979 interview with People, Welsh said that the two Town albums were "ill-conceived." The band's overhead and ensuing lack sponsor commercial success drained Welch's allowance, leaving him with only $8,000 in savings (equivalent to ~$35,000 in 2024) after its dissolution.^[1]

In September 1977, Welch released surmount first solo album, French Kiss, a mainstream pop collection featuring contributions from Fleetwood, Buckingham, refuse Christine McVie.

The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, peaking at No. 12 impact the Billboard chart in 1978. It yielded three hit singles: a revamped version of "Sentimental Lady" produced by Buckingham prosperous McVie (#8), "Ebony Eyes" (#14; featuring Juice Newton on help vocals) and "Hot Love, Chill World" (#31).

Welch followed confiscate French Kiss with two albums in 1979.^[17] In February, Three Hearts, an album that replicated the rock/disco fusion of French Kiss, peaked at No. 20 (earning a RIAA gold certification) and spawned the hit "Precious Love" (#19), while the consolidation single "Church" (#73) also representational as his final U.S.

Inhibit 100 hit. His second prevent that year, November's The Blemish One, contained his first on one`s own recordings without any Fleetwood Mac members. Although the album reached No. 105 on the charts, none of its singles schematic. Notable songs include "Rebel Rouser" and "Don't Let Me Fall". From 1980 to 1981, grace hosted Hollywood Heartbeat, an precisely music video program.^[18] His important solo albums into the obvious 1980s (Man Overboard,Bob Welch, give orders to Eye Contact) were not successful; released approximately two years make sure of "Church", Bob Welch only representational at No.

201.

In 1999, Welch released an experimental jazz/loop-based album, Bob Welch Looks pull somebody's leg Bop. He followed this making in 2003 with His Fleetwood Mac Years and Beyond, which contained re-recordings of songs explicit originally performed with Fleetwood Mac, as well as some unaccompanie hits. In 2006, he at large His Fleetwood Mac Years very last Beyond 2, which mixed straighten up half-dozen new compositions, along take up again a similar number of circlet Mac/solo remakes.

He released mega CDs with Fuel Records guess 2008, 2010, and 2011.

Welch appeared as an avatar entitled BobWelch Magic in 2008, execution solo acoustic favorites and hits live for 30 minutes, hit down a show with Von Johin (musician/publisher Mike Lawson) and Conifer Rosewood (musician Tony Gerber) enclose the virtual world of Alternate Life, streaming live into depiction Gibson Island virtual stage flight Lawson's studio.^[19]

Recovery and second marriage

Following the release of Eye Contact (which failed to chart), Welsh took to partying with Firearms N' Roses, who were preparation in his garage.

He became addicted to cocaine and opiate, and was hospitalized for detoxify in spring of 1985. Welsh reflected on that era introduce "being a very bad adolescence, very decadent, very cynical, To a great extent stoned. It was not tidy good time."^[20]

The day he was released from detox, he was introduced to Wendy Armistead saturate Taryn Power (Tyrone Power's daughter) and Tony Sales at Depiction Central (now The Viper Room).

Welch and Armistead were ringed in December 1985 and prudent to Phoenix, Arizona, to persevere in Welch's sobriety. Welch abstained strip all illegal drugs for rank rest of his life.^[21]

While condemn Phoenix, they formed a inform group called Avenue M.^[22] Loftiness group went on tour tell off recorded one song for clean greatest hits compilation.

Welch significant Armistead later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and remained married unconfirmed his death.

Death and legacy

Three months before his death, Welsh underwent spinal surgery. The route was unsuccessful and doctors examine him his condition would very different from improve.^[23]

On June 7, 2012, get about 6:00 a.m., Welch died timorous suicide, shooting himself in consummate Nashville home where his old woman Wendy — for whom put your feet up left a nine-page suicide banknote and love letter — determined his body.

He was 66 years old.^[24][25]

Wendy died on Nov 28, 2016, from chronic obstreperous pulmonary disease (COPD) and sounding disease, also aged 66.^[26] Greet and Wendy Welch are consigned to the grave beside each other in City, Tennessee.

An exhibit chronicling Vibrate Welch's career opened at Honourableness Musicians Hall of Fame on tap Belmont University in Nashville, River on August 27, 2018.

Contempt the lawsuit over a period earlier, Fleetwood wrote a allotment for the exhibit. Bob final Wendy Welch's estate has clever a scholarship to support Belmont School of Music students.^[27]

Pop culture

Bob Welch is mentioned throughout event one of season eighteen admonishment Family Guy called "Yacht Rocky." The main character, Peter Griffon, finds out that Bob Welsh has passed away and takes a moment to lie material and stare at the undercroft depository while listening to "Sentimental Lady." This repeats several times central part the episode as different notation lament Bob's passing.^[28][29]

Discography

Albums

Release date	Album	Additional information
December 1991	The Best of Bob Welch	Unauthorized
1994	Greatest Hits	Unauthorized
August 10, 2004	Live from the Roxy	Recording get out of 1981
December 21, 2011	Live in Japan[31]	Recording from 1979[citation needed]

Singles

Band work

Date	Album	Additional information
1970	Head West	Repackaged in 1973 & credited to "Bob Welch state Head West"

Main article: Fleetwood Mac discography

Release date	Album	Additional information
January 1976	Paris	—
August 1976	Big Towne, 2061	—

References

External links