Jim Rodford

James Walter Rodford (7 July 1941 – 20 January 2018) was an English musician, who played bass for several British rock bands. He was a founding member of Argent, which was led by his cousin Rod Argent, and performed with them from their formation in 1969 until they disbanded in 1976. He was the bassist for the Kinks from 1978 until they disbanded in 1997. In 2004, he joined the reunited Zombies, whom he had been closely associated with since the early 1960s, and remained a member until his death in 2018. He was also a member of the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Kast Off Kinks.

Early years

Rodford was born on 7 July 1941, in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was a member of the Bluetones, the biggest band in St Albans at the time. Although he did not become a band member at this stage, Rodford was instrumental in helping his younger cousin Rod Argent form the Zombies in 1964. Rodford later joined the Mike Cotton Sound as a bassist.⠀

Music career

File:Ray Davies - Jim Rodford with The Kinks 1979.jpg

Rodford performing in Mannheim, Germany in 1979 with the Kinks. Ray Davies (L) and Rodford

Along with Rod Argent, Rodford was one of the founding members of Argent. When Rod Argent quit the band, the remaining three members (Rodford, Bob Henrit, and John Verity) formed the short-lived band Phoenix. Eventually, Rodford joined the Kinks as a bass guitarist in 1978 and played with them until their final disintegration in 1997.

From 1999–2001 Rodford appeared in a band that ex-Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine formed, the Animals II, which also featured former Animals drummer John Steel, and keyboardist Dave Rowberry. Rodford continued with this band (which changed its working name to "The Animals and Friends" after Valentine left) until joining Argent and Colin Blunstone in the revival of the Zombies.

Rodford never played with the Zombies during their original incarnation, despite having been closely involved with them. However, he began to play with them in the band's reincarnation in 1968 and again in the early years of the 21st century, with his son Steve on drums.

In 2008, Rodford joined the Kast Off Kinks, on the retirement of John Dalton, whom he had followed into the Kinks after Andy Pyle. In 2009, Jim Rodford regularly played in "The Rodford Files" along with his sons Steve Rodford (Blunstone/Argent band) on drums and Russ Rodford on guitar, plus Derik Timms (mOOn Dogs) on guitar, lap steel, slide and vocals.

In 2010, the original line-up of Argent reformed and resumed playing in concert. They mounted a short tour including gigs in Frome, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leamington Spa and London.

On 20 January 2018, Rodford died after he fell down stairs at his home in St Albans.

Personal life

Rodford met his wife, Jean, at the Pioneer Club, St Albans, in the early days of his music career. They have two sons, Steve, a drummer, Russell a guitarist and a daughter, Paula. Rodford died after a fall on 20 January 2018, at the age of 76, a few days after returning from America where he had played a few gigs with The Zombies. His son Steve is currently the drummer for the Zombies.

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1955 till:01/20/2018 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = columns:2 position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1955 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1955

Colors =

id:bass          value:blue           legend:Bassist
id:vocals      value:pink          legend:Vocalist
id:bars     	 	value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

BarData =

 bar:blue    	  	text:"Bluetones"
 bar:cotton   	 	text:"Mike Cotton Sound"
 bar:argent	  	text:"Argent"
 bar:phoenix	  	text:"Phoenix"
 bar:kinks	  	  	text:"The Kinks"
 bar:animalstwo	text:"Animals II"
 bar:friends	 	text:"Animals & Friends"
 bar:zombies	  	text:"The Zombies"
 bar:kast	  		text:"The Kast Off Kinks"
 bar:files	 	  	text:"The Rodford Files"

PlotData =

width:11 textcolor:black align:left  
 color:bass
 bar:blue     	from:start      till:07/01/1964
 bar:cotton  	from:07/01/1964  till:12/30/1968
 bar:argent	from:01/01/1969   till:09/01/1976
 bar:phoenix	from:09/01/1976   till:12/30/1977
 bar:kinks		from:01/01/1978   till:06/16/1996
 bar:animalstwo	from:01/01/1999   till:06/01/2001
 bar:friends	from:06/01/2001  till:01/01/2004
 bar:zombies	from:01/01/1999   till:end
 bar:kast		from:01/01/2008   till:end
 bar:argent	from:06/01/2010   till:01/30/2011
 bar:argent	from:01/01/2012  till:04/01/2012  
 bar:files	from:01/01/2009    till:end

 color:vocals width:3
 bar:argent	from:01/01/1969   till:09/01/1976
 bar:phoenix	from:09/01/1976   till:12/30/1977
 bar:kinks		from:01/01/1978   till:06/16/1996
 bar:zombies	from:01/01/1999   till:end
 bar:kast		from:01/01/2008   till:end
 bar:argent	from:06/01/2010   till:01/30/2011
 bar:argent	from:01/01/2012  till:04/01/2012  
 bar:files	from:01/01/2009    till:end

</timeline>

External links

• Template:Wikidata Template:PAGENAMEBASE discography at DiscogsTemplate:EditAtWikidata