Ken Hensley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Hensley
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Ken Hensley at the Tavastia Club, Helsinki, in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kenneth William David Hensley |
| Born | 24 August 1945 Plumstead, London, England |
| Died | 4 November 2020 (aged 75) Agost, Alicante, Spain |
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| Years active | 1960–2020 |
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Kenneth William David Hensley (born August 24, 1945 – died November 4, 2020) was a talented musician from England. He was a singer, songwriter, and producer. Ken is most famous for his work with the band Uriah Heep in the 1970s.
He wrote or helped write most of Uriah Heep's popular songs. These include hits like "Lady in Black" (where he sang the main vocals), "Easy Livin'", and "Stealin'". He also wrote "Look at Yourself" and "Free Me".
Contents
Ken Hensley's Early Life and Music Journey
Ken Hensley was born in Plumstead, a part of south-east London. In 1945, his family moved to Stevenage, Hertfordshire. He had three brothers and one sister.
When he was 12, Ken taught himself to play the guitar. He learned from a book by Bert Weedon. His very first performance was in September 1960 at The Mentmore Pen Factory in Stevenage. After that, he played with several local bands. These included The Blue Notes, Ken and the Cousins, and Kit and the Saracens.
In 1963, Kit and the Saracens became The Jimmy Brown Sound. They recorded some songs, but these recordings are now lost. Around this time, Ken almost got his first big chance. His band was supposed to play with the famous singer Ben E. King during his visit to Britain, but it didn't happen.
Forming The Gods and Other Projects
In 1965, Ken started a band called The Gods. A young guitarist named Mick Taylor was in this band. Mick later became famous for playing with The Rolling Stones. Ken wrote most of the band's songs. He sang and played the Hammond B3 organ, as Mick Taylor was already on guitar.
Many talented musicians played in The Gods over time. These included Greg Lake (who later joined King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Paul Newton. Paul Newton later became the first bass player for Uriah Heep. Lee Kerslake, who also joined Uriah Heep later, was the drummer. In 1968, The Gods signed with Columbia Records. They released two albums and several singles.
Ken also worked on a side project that was meant to be The Gods' third album. It was released in 1969/1970 under the name Head Machine. Ken played mostly guitar on this album, like he did when he first started. This project showed a harder rock sound, similar to what he would later create with Uriah Heep.
The Gods eventually broke up. Then, Cliff Bennett asked The Gods to join him. They formed a new band called Toe Fat. They released two albums, but Ken only played on the first one.
Joining Uriah Heep
Around Christmas 1969, Paul Newton asked Ken to join his band, Spice. They wanted a keyboard player to make their sound more "progressive" and less bluesy. In January 1970, Spice changed its name to Uriah Heep. The band also included guitarist Mick Box and singer David Byron.
With Uriah Heep, Ken found the perfect place to show off his skills. He was a great songwriter and lyricist. He also played keyboards and guitar very well. The band's classic lineup included Ken, David Byron, Mick Box, Lee Kerslake, and bassist Gary Thain.
During his time with Uriah Heep (1970–1980), they released 13 studio albums. They also released a live album, Uriah Heep Live – January 1973, and many other collections and singles. While with Uriah Heep, Ken also released his first two solo albums. These were Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf (1973) and Eager To Please (1975).
After bassist Gary Thain passed away in 1975 and singer David Byron left, other musicians joined Uriah Heep. These included John Wetton, Trevor Bolder, and John Lawton.
Leaving Uriah Heep and Solo Work
In 1980, Ken left Uriah Heep. He was not happy with the band's new musical direction. He tried to start a new band in the UK called Shotgun. Later, he moved to the United States. There, he played some shows as The Ken Hensley Band. Around this time, he released his third solo album, Free Spirit (1980).
In 1982, Ken joined Blackfoot, a hard rock band from Florida. He recorded two albums with them: Siogo (1983) and Vertical Smiles (1984). Even though the band was successful, Ken left in 1985. This was after he learned that Uriah Heep's former singer, David Byron, had passed away.
After 1985, Ken lived a quieter life in St. Louis, Missouri, in the US. He made a few guest appearances with bands like W.A.S.P. and Cinderella. Blackie Lawless, the leader of W.A.S.P., said that Ken Hensley "wrote the rule book for heavy metal keyboards." Ken also owned a recording studio called "The Attic" in St. Louis.
In 1994, an album called From Time To Time was released. It was a collection of rare songs Ken recorded between 1971 and 1982. It also had early versions of Uriah Heep's classic songs. These were played by Ken and his friends, including guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke.
Later Career and Collaborations
Ken's musical activities increased again in 1999. He recorded an album called A Glimpse of Glory with his band, Visible Faith.
In May 2000, Ken performed a special concert with former Uriah Heep singer John Lawton. This was their first time working together publicly since 1979. They played old Uriah Heep songs and some of Ken's solo songs. The concert was recorded for a CD. They then toured Europe in 2001. One concert in Hamburg, Germany, featured a full orchestra.
On December 7, 2001, both John Lawton and Ken Hensley joined Uriah Heep on stage. This was at the annual Magician's Birthday Party in London. This concert was also recorded and released as a CD and DVD.
In 2002, Ken released Running Blind, his first new album in 21 years. He then went on a world tour with his band, "Free Spirit." After moving to Spain, Ken released more albums. These included The Last Dance (2003) and The Wizard's Diary (2004), which had re-recorded Uriah Heep classics. He also released Cold Autumn Sunday (2005), with re-recorded solo songs.
In May 2007, a rock opera called Blood on the Highway was released. It told the story of a rock star's journey. Many special guest singers were featured, including Ken Hensley, Glenn Hughes (from Deep Purple), and John Lawton.
In September 2008, Ken performed again with his former Uriah Heep bandmates. These included Lawton, Kerslake, and Newton. This was for a fans' meeting called "Heepvention 2008."
Ken continued to write and record new albums. Love & Other Mysteries was recorded near his home in Spain. In 2011, he released Faster, his first studio album with his live band, Live Fire. He also released live albums and another studio album, Trouble, in 2013.
In his later years, Ken and his wife Monica lived in the village of Agost in Spain. Ken Hensley passed away on November 4, 2020, at the age of 75. He had finished an album called My Book of Answers before he died. It was released on March 5, 2021.
Bands and Guest Appearances
Here is a list of bands Ken Hensley played with or made guest appearances for:
- The Gods (1965–1969) – lead vocals, keyboards, occasional guitar
- Head Machine (1969) – lead vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Toe Fat (1969) – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
- Uriah Heep (1970–1980) – keyboards, backing and occasional lead vocals, acoustic and slide guitar, primary songwriter
- Weed (1971) – lead vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Shotgun (1981) – lead vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Ken Hensley Band (1981) – lead vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Blackfoot (1982–1985) – keyboards, backing vocals, slide guitar
- W.A.S.P. (The Headless Children, 1989) – keyboards
- Cinderella (Heartbreak Station, 1990) – Hammond organ
- Ken Hensley & Visible Faith (1999) – lead vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Bruce Cameron (Midnight Daydream, 1999) – keyboards
- Hensley/Lawton Band (2000–2001) – keyboards, guitars, lead and backing vocals
- Ken Hensley/John Wetton (2001) – keyboards, guitars, lead and backing vocals
- Ken Hensley & Free Spirit (2002) – keyboards, guitars, lead vocals
- Ayreon (2004) – Hammond solo on Loser from the album The Human Equation
- Ken Hensley & The Viking All-Stars Band (2005) – keyboards, guitars, lead vocals
- Ken Hensley & Live Fire (2006–2020) – keyboards, guitars, lead vocals
- Maks and the Minors (2007) producer and guest Hammond keyboards on three tracks
- Therion (2007) – Hammond solo on Trul from the album Gothic Kabbalah
- B.T.R. (2008) – keyboards, guitars, lead and backing vocals
- Toni Rowland (Unfolding, 2010) – keyboards, guitars, producer
- Sunrize (2011) – Touring together with the Bulgarian rock band Sunrize during their Rock on the Rocks tour 2011.
- Vanexa (2016) - Hammond on 'The traveler' from the album 'Too heavy to fly'
- Blind Golem (2021) - Slide guitar and keyboards on ‘The Day Is Gone’ from the album ‘A Dream Of Fantasy’
Selected Discography
Solo albums
- Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf (1973) - AUS #57
- Eager to Please (1975)
- Free Spirit (1980)
- The Best of Ken Hensley (compilation, 1990)
- From Time to Time (1994)
- A Glimpse of Glory (1999)
- Ken Hensley Anthology (compilation, 2000)
- Running Blind (2002)
- The Last Dance (2003)
- The Wizard's Diary Vol. 1 (compilation, CD/DVD, 2004)
- Cold Autumn Sunday (2005)
- Elements – Anthology 1968 To 2005 (compilation, 2006)
- Inside the Mystery (compilation, 2006)
- Blood on the Highway (2007)
- Live Fire (DVD, 2007)
- Blood on the Highway – Release Concert (live DVD, 2008)
- Love & Other Mysteries (2012)
- Live Tales (live, 2013)
- Rare & Timeless (compilation, 2018)
- My Book of Answers (2021)
With Uriah Heep
- ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
- Salisbury (1971)
- Look at Yourself (1971)
- Demons and Wizards (1972)
- The Magician's Birthday (1972)
- Uriah Heep Live (live, 1973)
- Sweet Freedom (1973)
- Wonderworld (1974)
- Return to Fantasy (1975)
- The Best of Uriah Heep (compilation, 1975)
- High and Mighty (1976)
- Firefly (1977)
- Innocent Victim (1977)
- Fallen Angel (1978)
- Conquest (1980)
- Live at Shepperton '74 (live, 1986)
- Live in Europe 1979 (live, 1986)
- Still 'Eavy Still Proud (compilation, 1990)
- Rarities From The Bronze Age (compilation, 1991)
- The Lansdowne Tapes (1993)
- A Time of Revelation (1996)
- Live in San Diego 1974 (live, 1997)
- The Magician's Birthday Party (live, recorded 2001, released 2002)
- Chapter & Verse – The Uriah Heep Story (compilation, 2005)
With The Gods
- Genesis (1968)
- To Samuel A Son (1969)
- The Gods Featuring Ken Hensley (1976)
With Toe Fat
- Toe Fat (1970)
With Blackfoot
- Siogo (1983)
- Vertical Smiles (1984)
- KBFH Presents Blackfoot Live 1983 (live, 1998)
With John Lawton
- The Return (live, 2001)
- Salisbury Live (live, 2001)
With John Wetton
- More Than Conquerors (live, 2002)
- One Way Or Another (live, 2002)
With Ken Hensley & Live Fire
- Faster (2011)
- Live Fire LIVE (live, 2013)
- Trouble (2013)
- Live in Russia (live, 2019)
See also
In Spanish: Ken Hensley para niños
