Roxy Music: 5 Things Everyone Should Know

Like The Velvet Underground before them, Roxy Music is a band they may have lacked a lot of commercial success, but they would lay the groundwork for countless bands and artists that would follow.

In honor of their induction, here are five things everyone should know about Roxy Music.

Much of Roxy Music’s avant-garde nature is attributed to many of the band members’ art school backgrounds. Singer Bryan Ferry, saxophone/obe player Andy Mackay and synthesizer/keyboardist Brian Eno each attended art colleges in the U.K. in the 1960s.

There are many band’s whose history involves an ad placed in a newspaper or magazine, and for Roxy Music, it involves two. Both ads were placed in Melody Maker. One was looking was for a “Wonder drummer wanted for an avant rock group”; the other was for “The Perfect Guitarist for Avant Rock Group.”  Drummer Paul Thompson and guitarist Phil Manzanera answered their respective ads.

Roxy Music and their penchant for blending genres and embrace of fashion is considered a massive early influence for many bands that would break out under the New Wave banner. Some of those bands include Talking Heads, The Cars and Duran Duran, whose own Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor will be presenting Roxy Music at the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Roxy Music broke up in 1983 but would get back together sans Eno in 2001 in honor of the band’s 30 anniversary. They last performed together in 2011 in honor of their 40th anniversary.

Eno left Roxy Music in 1974 primarily due to various creative differences with Ferry. While he would go on to have a successful solo career and an incredible turn as a producer, Eno hasn’t performed with the band since. Fingers crossed a performance will be in store at the induction ceremony, perhaps even with Eno.

Erica Banas is rock/classic rock news blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.