Musician Denny Laine, who founded the band Wings in the 1970s with Linda and Paul McCartney, died this Tuesday (12/5) at the age of 79. The guitarist suffered from a lung disease.
Born in Birmingham, England, Denny first achieved success in 1964 as a member of the band Moody Blues, alongside Ray Thomas and Mike Ponder. He sang the group’s first hit, “Go Now”, which reached No. 1 in the UK charts, but left the band in 1966, before the release of their biggest hits – such as “Nights of White Satin” (1967) and “Tuesday Afternoon” (1968). Even so, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as a member of the group.
He spent even less time in his second band, the Electric String Band, a supergroup that also included Trevor Burton (of the Move) on guitar, Viv Prince (of the Pretty Things) on drums and Binky McKenzie (of Alexis Korner’s band) on bass. . Despite sharing the stage with Jimi Hendrix, the band quickly imploded due to a lack of success, leaving Denny to freelance for the rest of the 1960s, joining the band Balls and playing in Air Force, with drummer Ginger Baker (formerly -Cream) and the keyboard player. Steve Winwood (formerly Spencer Davis Group).
Collaboration with Paul McCartney
In 1971, the guitarist joined forces with Paul McCartney and his wife Linda to form Wings, remaining in the group for 10 years until it disbanded in 1981. In addition to guitars, he sang, also played keyboards and horns and was an associate of McCartney. he composed much of the repertoire.
Wings’ best-known album, “Band on the Run,” celebrated its 50th anniversary with Paul McCartney on Monday with a social media post. The album wasn’t initially a huge success, but once its singles started getting airplay on the radio, it took off and topped the bestseller charts three separate times in its first year of release. Ultimately, it sold 6 million copies worldwide.
Highly celebrated, the album was conceived as a trio, just like “London Town”, another classic of the band released in 1978 (the only album to have only the three original members on the cover).
“Paul and I had the same influences musically and had known each other since the ’60s,” Denny told Billboard magazine earlier this year about the 50th anniversary of “Band on the Run.” “It was really easy. It was easy to get a good rhythm in other people’s songs, and I think that’s what made the album popular.
Denny recorded seven albums with Wings. And between recording studios and world tours, he also began his solo career, releasing three albums of his own compositions while working with Paul McCartney. After Wings closed in 1981, he began to devote himself more seriously to individual work. There were 12 solo albums in total, the last one in 2008. But none of them produced any hits.
On his Instagram, Paul McCartney commented on the death of his ex-partner.
“We had grown apart, but in recent years we were able to re-establish our friendship and share memories of times spent together. Denny was a great talent, with a great sense of humor and was always willing to help others. We He will be missed by all his fans and will be remembered with great affection by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family,” McCartney wrote, listing his partner’s achievements, highlighting the hit “Mull of Kintyre.” “Peace and love, Denny, it was nice to meet you . Everyone will miss you.”
The former Beatle will have to pay homage to Denny in the next concerts in Brazil, since part of the songs that make up his repertoire were created with the guitarist. McCartney will perform at Alliaz Parque in Sao Paulo on Thursday (7/12), Saturday (9/12) and Sunday (10/12). Afterwards he will head to Curitiba, where he will play the other Thursday (13/12) at the Couto Pereira stadium, and will conclude his visit to Brazil on Saturday (16/12) at the Maracanã stadium, in Rio de Janeiro.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
