Legendary British blues rock band Savoy Brown has been a fan favorite for decades. The composition of the team changed periodically, but Kim Simmonds, its founder, who in 2011 celebrated the 45th anniversary of continuous touring around the world, remained the unchanged leader.
By this time, he had released over 50 of his solo albums. He appeared on stage playing guitar, keyboards, harmonica as the main soloist.
Currently, the famous musician is a resident of New York and leads a trio. His path to the pinnacle of musical fame was accompanied by ups and downs. The head of the group, who has several decades of creative activity behind him, gave all his potential to his listeners.
Frontman's childhood passion for music
Kim was born in the British capital on December 5, 1947. His older brother Harry constantly listened to blues on records, and this formed the direction and style of the future leader of the group. As a teenager, Kim taught himself to play the guitar, following the mesmerizing rhythms of traditional African-American music.
The harmony and bright characteristic features of this genre were reflected in his drawings. Later, his original works of art will be embodied in the images on the covers of records with solo hits. The music, played with solo instruments, entered the heart of the guy forever.
The creation of the Savoy Brown group and the beginning of creative activity
In October 1965, Kim, under the leadership of his brother, creates his own group called the Savoy Brown Blyes Band. Savoy was then the name of a jazz-oriented American firm, and Brown was a common surname for famous musicians of the time. British blues clubs were closing and the genre was in decline.
The formed team began its activities with noisy concerts in their own Kirloys club. Young producer Mike Vernon turned to live performance, who suggested that the band release a single. Later, the musicians began to perform with the famous creative team Cream, and after a while they signed a contract with Decca and released their first album, Shake Down.
With the arrival of vocalist Chris Yolden, the author of numerous works, the records began to be released under the abbreviated name Savoy Brown. The team visits America for the first time, where they gain their fans, occupy high positions in chats and become more popular than in their homeland.
A well-deserved success was facilitated by endless continuous tours of this country. The musicians began to record original things and released many successful albums. Savoy Brown traveled this country far and wide. The first hit overseas was "I m Tired".
Savoy Brown Career Rungs
At the peak of his popularity, Yolden leaves the group, wanting to pursue a solo career. Vocals were provided by Dave Peveret. The musicians worked hard, gave 6 concerts a week and released an album with an unusual cover depicting a monstrous skull with huge eyes.
New partings, farewells and changes follow. The musicians, led by Peveret, leave the band and form their own rock band. The Simmonds brothers do not lose heart and recruit a new line-up.
Stewart's support is found on American stages. They sign 3 recording contracts with a well-known company, switch to rock music and are characterized as excellent musicians of this genre. The members of the group left and became former, new vocalists were invited, but the backbone of the team did not stop their creative search.
After another radical change, the group's success began to decline, but since 1994 a new drummer set the tone for the next 5 years, and Kim became the vocalist. Changes were constantly taking place in the composition of the team, other artists came to replace some vocalists, drummers, guitarists. The leader, in spite of everything, retained his style and popularity.
In 1997, Kim released his first album "Solitaire" with a personal solo performance. This served as a starting point for the leader to recognize his love for acoustic sound. In 1999, the musicians, having passed the circle, again returned to their favorite genre - the traditional blues.
Through hardship to the stars
In 2003, the new disc was liked not only by fans, but also by critics. The album called "Strange Dreams" was a huge success among fans and ordinary listeners. This was followed by the second and third disc, complete with a powerful acoustic sound. Tours around the world and an endless series of concerts increased the popularity of the leader as a solo artist.
In 2006, Savoy Brown began touring as a trio, a blues-rock classic. In the same period, Kim creates the thirtieth album called "Steel", and two years later releases a CD with a set of different materials with sad, thoughtful music.
In 2011, Kim Simmonds celebrated 45 years of touring with his new 50th album Voodoo Moon. In 2017, his new hit "Witchy Feeling" reached number one on the blues charts. Solid experience and love for his work allowed Kim Simmonds to reach the top of the list of popular performers.
