Tim Staffell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Staffell
Staffell at the 2019 Ealing Blues Festival
Background information
Birth name	Timothy John Staffell
Born	(1948-02-24) 24 February 1948 (age 77) Isleworth, Middlesex, England
Origin	Ealing, London
Genres	Rock, progressive rock
Instruments	Guitar, bass, vocals, harmonica
Years active	1964–1973, 1992, 2001–present

Timothy John Staffell (born 24 February 1948) is an English musician, artist, and designer. He is well-known for being a member of the band Smile. This band also included guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. After Tim Staffell left Smile, the remaining members joined with Freddie Mercury and others to form the famous band Queen.

Early Music Career

Timothy John Staffell was born in Isleworth, England. He went to Hampton Grammar School. In 1964, he met Brian May, another student from his school. They formed a blues-rock band called '1984'. This band played as a warm-up act for famous groups like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.

In 1965, Tim Staffell started studying art at Ealing Art College. There, he became friends with Freddie Mercury. Tim Staffell and Brian May later formed a new band called Smile. Roger Taylor joined them as the drummer. Tim Staffell and Brian May wrote a song together called "Doing All Right." The band Queen later included this song on their first album. After his time with Smile, Tim Staffell joined other bands like Humpy Bong and Morgan.

Life as a Designer and Animator

Tim Staffell later decided to work as a model maker and designer. He also became an animator and director for commercials. He worked on many interesting projects. One of these was the BBC TV show The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He was also the main model maker for the first series of the children's TV show Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

Later, Tim Staffell worked at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. This is a leading drama school in the UK. He taught his design and model-making skills to students there.

Return to Music

In 2001, Tim Staffell went back to making music. He formed a new band called aMIGO with his friend Richard Lightman. Their music was a mix of blues and funk. It also had influences from folk, Latin, and rock.

In 2003, aMIGO released their first album. It included new versions of old Smile songs like "Earth" and "Doin' Alright." His former bandmate Brian May played guitar and sang on these songs.

In April 2018, Tim Staffell recorded his part for "Doin' Alright" again. He recorded it with Brian May and Roger Taylor for the movie soundtrack of Bohemian Rhapsody. This movie tells the story of Queen. The song was called "Doing All Right ... Revisited" and was credited to Smile. The soundtrack was released on 19 October 2018. It reached number 5 on the UK albums chart.

Tim Staffell's second solo album, Two Late, was released on digital platforms on 26 October 2018. In July 2019, the aMIGO album was re-released as a Remastered Special Edition CD.

In late 2019 and early 2020, Tim Staffell recorded an album called How High with Paul Stewart. They formed a band called Staffell & Stewart. The album has new songs and new versions of classic rhythm and blues songs.

In September 2021, Tim Staffell went to Barcelona to record his third solo album, Wayward Child. He recorded it with his son Andrew. The first song from the album, 'The Sinner', was released on 24 February 2023, which was Tim's 75th birthday. The full album Wayward Child was released in 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Tim Staffell para niños