Chris Wood (rock musician)
| Chris Wood | |
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Chris Wood ca. 1969
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Gordon Blandford Wood |
| Born |
24 June 1944 Quinton, Birmingham, England |
| Died | 12 July 1983 (aged 39) Birmingham, England |
| Genres | Rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone, flute |
| Years active | 1963–1983 |
| Associated acts | Shades of Blue, Locomotive, Traffic, Mason Capaldi Wood & Frog, Dr. John, Ginger Baker's Air Force |
| Website | http://chriswood-lunarmusic.com/ |
| Notable instruments | |
| Saxophone, Flute | |
Christopher Gordon Blandford "Chris" Wood (24 June 1944—12 July 1983) was an English musician, most known as a founding member of the English rock band Traffic, along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason.
Born in Quinton, a suburb of Birmingham, Chris Wood had an interest in music and painting from early childhood. Self-taught on flute and saxophone, which he commenced playing at the age of 15, he began to play locally with other Birmingham musicians who would later find international fame in music: Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie), Carl Palmer, Stan Webb, and Mike Kellie. Wood played with Perfect in 1964 in the band Shades of Blue and with Kellie during 1965-1966 in the band Locomotive.
He attended the Stourbridge College of Art, then the Birmingham School of Art (Painting Dept.) and subsequently was awarded a grant to attend the Royal Academy of Art starting in December 1965.
Aged 18, Wood joined the Steve Hadley Quartet, a jazz/blues group in 1962. His younger sister Stephanie designed clothes for the Spencer Davis Group, based in Birmingham, and it was through her that Wood was first introduced to fellow Birmingham native Steve Winwood. A well-known Birmingham club – the Elbow Room - was an after-hours haunt of local bands and musicians and it was here that Wood used to meet up with Winwood and Jim Capaldi. At the age of 18, Winwood abandoned the Spencer Davis Group at the height of their popularity and, along with Wood, Capaldi, and Dave Mason, formed Traffic.
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