John Charles Lodge is an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 musician, best known as bassist

Bassist

A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...

 and singer of the longstanding rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 group The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....

.

Early years

Lodge attended school at Birches Green Junior School, Central Grammar School and later went to college at the Birmingham College of Advanced Technology for engineering. His early influences were musicians like Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 and Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...

, and by age 15 met up with future band-mate Ray Thomas

Ray Thomas

Ray Thomas is an English musician, best known as the flautist and as a singer and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.-Career:...

.

Career with the Moody Blues

Lodge after being initially involved in the Birmingham music scene then temporarily dropped out to continue his studies doing his City and Guilds, however in 1966 after Moody Blues original Bassist Clint Warwick had left the band, Lodge succeeded the temporary deputy Rod Clarke as permanent Moodies Bassist/vocalist rejoining Ray Thomas & co around the same time as the band recruited a young Swindon born Guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward to replace Denny Laine. Lodge's disinctive falsetto ranged high harmony voice plus Lead vocals would be a major asset to the revised Moody Blues from this point on.

Lodge's prolific songwriting

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 for the Moody Blues has created such song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

s as: "Peak Hour", "Evening, Time To Get Away", "Gimmie A Little Something","Ride My See-Saw

Ride My See-Saw

"Ride My See-Saw" is a hit 1968 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's bassist John Lodge, and was first released on the Moody Blues 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord...

","House of Four Doors

House of Four Doors

"House of Four Doors" is a 1968 song by the British progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by the band's bassist John Lodge, it was first released on the Moody Blues 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord...

", "Eyes of a Child

Eyes of a Child (song)

"Eyes of a Child" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written and sung by the band's bassist John Lodge, "Eyes of a Child" is a two-part song, and both parts were recorded and released in 1969 on the Moody Blues Album To Our Children's Children's Children, a concept album...

", "Send Me No Wine

Send Me No Wine

"Send Me No Wine" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by the band's bassist John Lodge, "Send Me No Wine" was first released on the 1969 album On the Threshold of a Dream....

", "To Share Our Love

To Share Our Love

"To Share Our Love" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by the band's bassist John Lodge, it was the sixth track from their 1969 album On the Threshold of a Dream....

","Candle of Life

Candle of Life

"Candle of Life" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues, from their album To Our Children's Children's Children, a concept album about space travel...

", "Tortoise And The Hare", "Minstrel's Song", "Emily's Song

Emily's Song

"Emily's Song" is a 1971 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and was included on their 1971 album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour."Emily's Song" was written by the band's bassist John Lodge for his newborn daughter Emily...

", "Isn't Life Strange

Isn't Life Strange

"Isn't Life Strange" is a 1972 single by the English rock band The Moody Blues. Written by bassist John Lodge, it was the first of two singles released from their 1972 album Seventh Sojourn, with the other being "I'm Just a Singer "...

" (which earned Lodge an ASCAP songwriting award), "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)

I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)

"I'm Just a Singer " is a hit 1973 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was first released in 1972 as the final track on the album Seventh Sojourn. "I'm Just a Singer " was later released as a single in 1973, with "For My Lady" on the B-side...

" (which also won him an ASCAP songwriting award), "Steppin' in a Slide Zone

Steppin' In a Slide Zone

"Steppin' in a Slide Zone" is a 1978 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was the first single The Moody Blues had released in five years, after the band's temporary hiatus...

","Survival", "Talking Out of Turn

Talking Out of Turn

"Talking Out of Turn" is a 1981 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and it was the third and final single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager...

",
"Nervous", "Sitting at the Wheel

Sitting at the Wheel

"Sitting at the Wheel" is a 1983 hit single by The Moody Blues, written by John Lodge. It was first released on November 19, 1983, only one week after their previous single, "Blue World," was released...

","It May Be A Fire", "Rock'N'Roll Over You","Love is on The Run", "Here Comes The Weekend", "Lean on Me (Tonight)", "Shadows On The Wall", "Magic","Wherever You Are", "Love Don't Come Easy

Love Don't Come Easy

"Love Don't Come Easy" is a song and single by American/Danish glam metal band White Lion. The song is the third single from their 1991 album Mane Attraction. The song peaked at number 24 on The Mainstream Rock Charts.-Personnel:...

", "Words You Say", "Forever Now", "On This Christmas Day","The Spirit of Christmas", and "Gemini Dream

Gemini Dream

"Gemini Dream" is a 1981 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It reached #12 in the U.S. charts. It was the first single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager, which also included "Painted Smile," another track from the album, on the B-side...

" — the latter being a co-composition with Justin Hayward that won them jointly an ASCAP songwriting award. Bass Player magazine voted him amongst the most influential bass players.

Lodge co-wrote 'Out And In' with Mike Pinder for 'To Our Children's Children's Children' in 1969.

He also collaborated with fellow Moody Blues member Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...

 on the 1975 album Blue Jays

Blue Jays (album)

Blue Jays is a 1975 album by Justin Hayward & John Lodge. It was recorded and released during the Moody Blues' five-year hiatus.The track "Blue Guitar", originally released as a non-album single credited to Hayward & Lodge in September 1975 but performed by Hayward with the band 10cc, was added to...

 released on Threshold, which in addition to Hayward's compositions included three songs written by Lodge; 'Maybe', 'Saved by The Music' and 'You', together with two tracks co-written by Lodge & Hayward; 'Remember Me (My Friend)' and 'When You Wake Up', and later released a solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 album, Natural Avenue

Natural Avenue (album)

Natural Avenue is an album by John Lodge of The Moody Blues. It received a favourable review from Robert Hillburn in the Los Angeles Times....

, on Decca in 1977, from which the single 'Say You Love Me' was issued . During the 1970s, he produced

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 the band

Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

 Trapeze

Trapeze (band)

Trapeze were an English rock band formed in March 1969, by vocalist John Jones and guitarist/keyboardist Terry Rowley , with guitarist Mel Galley, singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, and drummer Dave Holland...

.

In 1977 Lodge released a rare non album solo single 'Street Cafe' c/w 'Threw it All Away' on Decca, this single featured future Moodies' Keyboardist Patrick Moraz.

After The Moody Blues resumed recording in 1978 Lodge has also regularly since 1981 co-written songs for the band with Justin Hayward, such as: 'Meet Me Halfway',Talkin' Talkin','Slings And Arrows','Running out of Love', 'Miracle','Breaking Point','Want To Be With You',Once is Enough', 'Highway','Is This Heaven?' 'Sooner or Later (Walking on Air)', 'Strange Times', and 'The One', etc....

Through most of his career he played a Fender Precision Bass

Fender Precision Bass

The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...

. For the last several years he has been playing a Fender Jazz Bass

Fender Jazz Bass

The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...

. Other instruments include a custom-made Fender double-neck bass and guitar (which replaced a similar model by Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker

Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...

), acoustic bass and acoustic 12-string by Guild

Guild Guitar Company

The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge, a guitarist and music-store owner, and George Mann, a former executive with the Epiphone Guitar Company...

.

In 1985, the Moody Blues picked up the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Personal life

Lodge has been married to his wife, Kirsten, since 1968, and they are the parents of two grown children. Their first child, a daughter named Emily, was born in 1970 (for whom Lodge wrote 'Emily's Song' included on 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favor' album in 1971) , and son Kristian was born two years later. Although he is a private man, Lodge has spoken on several occasions about his Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 beliefs, and credits his faith

Faith

Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...

 with keeping him from the dangers of rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

.http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/covers/260-cover-story/502-born-again-rock-stars http://www.moodytalk.com/showthread.php?t=1860

External links

• John Lodge official site
• [ Allmusic]