1. Early career

2. Electric Light Orchestra

3. Personal life

4. Death

5. References

Early career

Groucutt began his musical career at 15 as Rikki Storm of Rikki Storm and the Falcons. He went on to sing with various outfits during the '60s, picking up the guitar as he went along.^[3] Groucutt was also a member of a band called "Sight and Sound",^[4] and later with a band called "Barefoot".

Electric Light Orchestra

It was while playing with Barefoot in Birmingham that he was spotted by ELO's Jeff Lynne; and after Lynne, Bev Bevan and Richard Tandy had watched him play, he was invited to join ELO, to replace Mike de Albuquerque, who had recently left the band.^[5] Upon joining, he was asked to adopt a stage name because ELO had already had several members named Michael, Mike or Mik; he chose Kelly as being a school nickname.^[5] ELO then set off on their Eldorado tour.{{citation needed|date=November 2009|reason=I thought it was Face the Music}} He assumed lead vocal duties on a few songs and his vocals can be heard on later ELO songs, most prominently is songs such as "Nightrider" (1975), "Poker" (1975), "Down Home Town" (1975), "Above the Clouds" (1976), "Sweet Is the Night" (1977), "Across the Border" (1977) and "The Diary of Horace Wimp" (1979). While he did not perform the operatic vocals in the studio, Groucutt often displayed his vocal talents by replicating them during live performances of "Rockaria!" (1976).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

The first Electric Light Orchestra album to feature Kelly on bass guitar and as a backing vocalist was 1975's Face the Music. He continued contributing on the following albums A New World Record (1976), Out of the Blue (1977), Discovery (1979), Xanadu (1980) and Time (1981).

In 1982 he released his self-titled, solo debut album, Kelly. This album featured fellow ELO members Bev Bevan, Richard Tandy, Mik Kaminski and their orchestral co-arranger and conductor Louis Clark.^[6] In 2001 this album was remastered for CD.

Groucutt remained with ELO until the onset of the recording sessions for 1983's Secret Messages album. It was at this juncture that he left the band, unhappy with royalty payments during his tenure, and made the decision to sue management and band leader Jeff Lynne.^[7] A settlement for the sum of £300,000 ({{Inflation|UK|300,000|1983|r=-2|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}{{Inflation-fn|UK}}) was reached out of court prior to proceedings.^[7] He is credited with playing bass on Secret Messages, although it has been stated from an official source{{who|date=August 2016}} that he only played on four songs ("Train of Gold" and "Rock n Roll is King" from the single disc release and "No Way Out" and "Beatles Forever" from the original double album).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

He took part in some of the ELO spin-off groups: OrKestra, ELO Part II, and The Orchestra. He toured worldwide with The Orchestra (former members of ELO and ELO Part II) and also took part in tours as part of a local, little known band called Session 60.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

Personal life

Groucutt's marriages produced three sons and a daughter.

Death

Groucutt died on the afternoon of February 19, 2009 at the Royal Worcester Hospital, Worcester, from a heart attack.

References

• Bandits of the West
• Bandit War
• Bandivan, Iran
• Bandiwan Mi Ya Sansari
• Bandixon
• Bandixon District
• Bandi Yadagiri
• Bandi-ye Kuh
• Bandić Milan 365 - Labour and Solidarity Party
• Bandjalangic
• Bandjalangic languages
• Bandjeli
• Bandjerang language
• Bandjermasin
• Bandjigali dialect
• Bandjigali language
• Bandjikaky
• Bandjin language
• Bandjoun-Baham language
• Bandjoun language
• Bandjub
• Band Jub
• Band Jub 1
• Band Jub 2
• Band Jub-e Chahar Borji-ye Do