Woolly Wolstenholme
| Woolly Wolstenholme | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stuart John Wolstenholme |
| Also known as | Woolly |
| Born | 15 April 1947 |
| Origin | Chadderton, Lancashire, England, UK |
| Died | 13 December 2010 (aged 63) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Keyboards |
| Years active | 1960s–2010 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
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| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
| mellotron | |
Stuart John Wolstenholme (15 April 1947 – 13 December 2010), usually known as Woolly Wolstenholme, was a vocalist and keyboard player with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.
Wolstenholme was born in Chadderton, Lancashire on 15 April 1947, and went to school at North Chadderton Secondary Modern School. His first instrument was a tenor banjo, which he took up at the age of 12, and he also played tenor horn for the Delph band. He met John Lees at Oldham School of Art and Woolly played tambourine and sang with John in the Sorcerers, then the Keepers, where Woolly played whatever instrument was required, such as harmonica and twelve-string guitar.
The pair then founded Barclay James Harvest, together with Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard, in 1967. Woolly taught himself keyboards, first the Mellotron and then adapting to organ, piano and synthesisers. His musical influences ranged from Love and Vanilla Fudge through Mahler to UK and Radiohead. Woolly remained with Barclay James Harvest until 1979, when he became frustrated and unhappy at the direction their music was taking.
He recorded a solo album, Mæstoso, in 1980, and toured as support to Judie Tzuke and Saga, as well as writing film and TV music. A projected second album, Black Box, was shelved and Woolly lost interest in the music business, preferring instead to farm, initially in Lancashire and later in West Wales. Tapes from the sessions for his second album were finally issued in 1994, along with the complete Mæstoso album, as Songs from the Black Box.
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