Jimmy Edwards (musician)

James Arthur "Jimmy" Edwards (18 April 1949 – 13 January 2015) was a lead singer/songwriter who led many bands from the 1960s until his death. He was most well known as lead singer of 1980s new wave band "Time UK" with Rick Buckler of The Jam, Danny Kustow of Tom Robinson Band, Martin Gordon (bassist in Sparks) - who was then replaced by Nick South (Yoko Ono/Steve Marriott) - and Ray Simone. The latter was also in Edwards's late seventies punk new wave band "Masterswitch".

Edwards was born in 1949 in Chiswick, England, and grew up in Kensal Rise to age 11, after which the family moved to Ashford, Middlesex. His maternal grandmother was Russian and lived in Berlin in the 1920s. Edwards' mother was born around 1912 and might, according to Edwards, have been born out of wedlock. Edwards' father owned a pair of blue collar companies.

Edwards career began in the sixties with mod bands "The Cult" (1963–64); "The Neat Change", perhaps the first Skinhead band, formed in 1968; "The Washington Flyers", "Stumpy", "Edwards & Guest"; and "English Rose", was formed with Lynton Guest of Love Affair (1968–72) whose music (the song "Yesterdays Hero") was featured in the film "Groupie girl" (also known as "I am a Groupie"). Edwards appeared in the film as the character "Bob", and was billed as "Jimmie Edwardes". "The Neat Change" had a strong London Mod/skinhead following in the late mid/late 1960s and their one recorded song "I lied to Auntie May" was released on the Decca label, and is considered a classic of the genre. The Neat Change played at the Marque Club in London on numerous occasions, gaining as much praise as the Small Faces and The Who.

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