This one really floored me. They were recently here in Clearwater, FL for a tour. Loved the band "Renasissance", saw them many times including at Carnegie Hall in NYC. I have almost everything they released. I will miss you my friend, Thanks for the great memories.
Michael Dunford, guitartist, composer (born Surrey, July 1944) died on 20 November, aged 68. Best known as songwriter and guitartist for British progressive rock band Renaissance, Dunford had along recording and touring career.
He formed a skiffle band while working at Heathrow Airport and then, in the early 60's formed The Nashville Teens, who had a hit with Tobacco Road, in 1962. Mike played with The Pentad and The Plebs before joining Renaissance during the 1970/71 transtition rhat would eventually see all the original members leave. Dunford would become their principl songwriter during the 1970's, retaining the band's sound through the everchanging line-ups, and was one of prog's most underrated gutiarists.
Renaissance issued during this era the likes of Prologue, Ashes Are Buring, Turn of the Cards, Scheherazade and Other Stories, Novella and A Song for All Seasons, which produced the 1978 Top 10, Northern Lights.
Azure D'Or and Camera, Camera followed, but the band fractured by 1985 and split in 1987, leaving Dunford and singer Annie Haslam to lead their own versions of it in the 90's.They reunited in 1998 and issued and toured Tuscany.
Having just done an American tour, they'd just completed a new studio album, due in March. Dunford was at home with his family in Surrey when he suffered a massive instantaneous cerebral haemorrhage and died in hospital the following day. - Joe Geesin
Rick A.
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Last edited by Rick A on Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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