Kim Simmonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Simmonds
Simmonds in 2002
Background information
Birth name	Kim Maiden Simmonds
Born	(1947-12-05)5 December 1947 Newbridge, Caerphilly, Wales
Died	13 December 2022(2022-12-13) (aged 75) Syracuse, New York
Genres	Blues rock rock blues Hard rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar vocals harmonica
Years active	1965–2022

Kim Maiden Simmonds (born December 5, 1947 – died December 13, 2022) was a talented Welsh rock musician. He was best known as the founder, guitarist, and main songwriter for the blues rock band Savoy Brown. Kim Simmonds led Savoy Brown from when it started in 1965. He was the only member who stayed with the band through all its albums and successes.

Career

Early Days and Savoy Brown

When Kim Simmonds was a teenager, he learned to play guitar by listening to his brother's blues records. He is seen as one of the important people who helped create British blues music.

In October 1965, he formed the Savoy Brown Blues Band. They started playing concerts in London in 1966. Early on, they played with famous bands like Cream. They also performed with blues legend John Lee Hooker.

Finding Success

Playing live shows helped Savoy Brown get a record deal with Decca. By 1969, the band had a classic lineup with Simmonds, guitarist Lonesome Dave Peverett, and singer Chris Youlden. That year, they released two important albums: Blue Matter and A Step Further. These albums included popular songs like "Train To Nowhere" and "I'm Tired."

Savoy Brown became very popular in America. "I'm Tired" was their first hit song there. The band always had more fans in the United States than in their home country of England.

In 1970, they released Raw Sienna, which featured songs like "A Hard Way To Go." When Chris Youlden left, Lonesome Dave Peverett became the lead singer. The album Looking In (also from 1970) had memorable songs and a famous album cover. Later, Peverett and other band members left to form the successful rock band Foghat.

Kim Simmonds kept the band going. He brought in new musicians from other blues bands, including singer Dave Walker. This new group was very popular. They toured America, opening for bands like Rod Stewart and the Faces. Their albums Street Corner Talking (1971) and Hellbound Train (1972) had fan favorites. These included "Tell Mama" and the long song "Hellbound Train."

Later Years and Solo Work

In 1997, Kim Simmonds released his first solo acoustic album called Solitaire. He continued to tour all over the world with different versions of Savoy Brown. In 2004, a live album called You Should Have Been There was released. It showed Simmonds singing lead vocals and also performing solo.

In 2011, he celebrated 45 years of touring with the Savoy Brown album Voodoo Moon. His 2017 album with Savoy Brown, Witchy Feeling, reached number one on the Billboard blues charts.

Kim Simmonds released over 47 albums as a solo artist and with Savoy Brown. He was also a painter. The cover of his 2008 solo album, Out of the Blue, featured his own artwork. In 2008, Simmonds appeared in a music documentary called "American Music: OFF THE RECORD."

Personal life

On August 15, 2022, Kim Simmonds shared on the Savoy Brown website that he was receiving treatment for a serious illness. Because of his treatment, all planned concerts were canceled. Kim Simmonds passed away from this illness on December 13, 2022, in Syracuse, New York. He was 75 years old. The news was shared by the Savoy Brown fan page on December 15.

Discography

Simmonds performing with Savoy Brown in 1975

With Savoy Brown

• Shake Down (1967)
• Getting to the Point (1968)
• Blue Matter (1969)
• A Step Further (1969)
• Raw Sienna (1970)
• Looking In (1970)
• Street Corner Talking (1971)
• Hellbound Train (1972)
• Lion's Share (1972)
• Jack the Toad (1973)
• Boogie Brothers (1974)
• Wire Fire (1975)
• Skin 'n' Bone (1976)
• Savage Return (1978)
• Rock 'n' Roll Warriors (1981)
• Slow Train (1986)
• Make Me Sweat (1988)
• Kings of Boogie (1989)
• Let It Ride (1992)
• Bring It Home (1994)
• The Blues Keep Me Holding On (1999)
• Strange Dreams (2003)
• You Should Have Been There! (2004)
• Steel (2007)
• Train to Nowhere (2010)
• Voodoo Moon (2011)
• Songs From The Road (2013)
• Goin' to the Delta (2014)
• The Devil to Pay (2015)
• Still Live After 50 Years – Volume 1 (2015)
• Still Live After 50 Years – Volume 2 (2017)
• Witchy Feelin´ (2017)
• City Night (2019)
• Ain't Done Yet (2020)
• Taking the Blues Back Home (2020)

Solo Albums

• Solitaire (1997)
• Blues Like Midnight (2001)
• Struck by Lightning (2004)
• Out of the Blue (2008)
• Jazzin' on the Blues (2015)

See also

In Spanish: Kim Simmonds para niños