Biography
Keyboardist Ian McLagan was a pivotal member of '60s mod heroes the Small Faces and their Rod Stewart-led '70s incarnation Faces before becoming both a bandleader and an in-demand session musician for some of the biggest names in rock history. Born in Hounslow, Middlesex in 1945, McLagan initially dabbled with the guitar and saxophone before the likes of Booker T. Jones and Otis Spann inspired him to switch his attention to the Hohner Cembalet, and then the Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer electric piano. McLagan first began performing with a group he formed at Twickenham Art School, The Muleskinners, and went onto join forces with future King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell in The Boz People, who cut four unsuccessful singles before splitting in 1965. Later that year, he was invited to replace Jimmy Winston in Small Faces by manager Don Arden, and made his recording debut on their first UK Top 10 hit, "Sha-La-La-La-Lee." From the playful music hall vibes of "Lazy Sunday" to the powerful soul of "Tin Soldier" to the trippy psychedelia of "Green Circles," McLagan's ability to master any style proved to be integral to the group's success. Following frontman Steve Marriott's departure in 1969, McLagan, along with bandmates Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones, teamed up with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood to form Faces. McLagan once again proved to be an invaluable asset, most notably co-writing the group's third and final US Top 50 hit, "Cindy Incidentally," and providing the saloon bar swagger on signature track "Stay With Me." After Faces disbanded in 1975, McLagan turned bandleader when he formed his own Bump Band, and was recruited by The Rolling Stones to play on the sessions for their 1978 LP, Some Girls, and its accompanying tour. A year later, McLagan reunited with former bandmate Ronnie Wood to perform a string of live dates under the guise of The New Barbarians, and released his debut solo album, Troublemaker, which was then quickly followed up in 1980 with Bump in the Night. McLagan subsequently became the go-to keyboardist for the rock elite, playing on records by the likes of Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, Thin Lizzy, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, just to name a few, as well as touring with Bob Dylan in 1984. Following a move to Austin, TX, in 1994, McLagan continued to tour extensively with his own group, joined Billy Bragg's backing band, The Blokes, and revived his solo career with 2000's Best of British. After adding to his catalogue with the likes of 2004's Rise & Shine, 2005's Here Comes Trouble and 2008's Never Say Never, McLagan joined a Faces reunion tour which saw Simply Red's Mick Hucknall take over vocal duties from an absent Rod Stewart, and ended with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014, McLagan released his eighth and final studio effort, United States, but sadly died from a stroke at the age of 69 on December 3 of the same year.
