Keith Ian Ellis (19 March 1946 – 12 December 1978), was an English bass player. He was born in Matlock, Derbyshire. He is known for his associations with

The Koobas The Koobas were an English beat group from Liverpool. Their music, and their early history, is similar in some ways to that of fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles, though they never achieved widespread popularity. History The group was founded ...

The Misunderstood The Misunderstood were an American psychedelic rock band originating from Riverside, California in the mid-1960s. The band moved to London early in their career, and although they recorded only a handful of songs before being forced to disband, ...

and Juicy Lucy. He was also a member of

Van der Graaf Generator Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commercial success i ...

from 1968 to 1969. Ellis worked with

Mike Patto Mike Patto (born Michael Thomas McCarthy, 22 September 1942 – 4 March 1979) was an English musician, who was primarily notable as lead singer for Spooky Tooth, Patto and Boxer. Life and career Patto was born in Cirencester, England, and fi ...

and

Ollie Halsall Peter John "Ollie" Halsall (14 March 1949 – 29 May 1992) was an English guitarist best known for his role in the Rutles, the bands Timebox, Patto and Boxer, and for his contribution to the music of Kevin Ayers. He is also notable as one of ...

's band Boxer from 1975 until late 1976 when the original line-up split.Christopulos and Smart, ''Van der Graaf Generator'', p. 47. Ellis died in

Darmstadt, Germany Darmstadt () is a city in the state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in the state of Hesse ...

in 1978, whilst on tour with

Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal musi ...

. No cause of death was determined, although the music journalist Ralph Heibutzki reported in a 2011 edition of '' Ugly Things'' that he was the victim of an accidental drug overdose. He left behind a widow, Deborah. The song "Not For Keith" on the album '' pH7'' by

Peter Hammill Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer/songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and ...

, (1979) was a tribute to Ellis.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Keith 1978 deaths English bass guitarists English male guitarists Male bass guitarists 1946 births Van der Graaf Generator members Iron Butterfly members People from Matlock, Derbyshire 20th-century English musicians 20th-century bass guitarists 20th-century British male musicians