Rob Townsend

Townsend was born in Frog Island, Leicester, England, where he spent his teenage years playing in various bands, such as the Beatniks, Broodly Hoo and Legay. He became drummer for Family,[2] replacing Harry Overnall in 1967. Family broke up in 1973 and Townsend joined Medicine Head.[2] After eighteen months he left Medicine Head and spent much of the late 1970s as freelance session drummer for Peter Skellern,[3] George Melly and Bill Wyman amongst others. During this time he played drums for Kevin Ayers[4] and Charlie Whitney's Axis Point.[1][5]

In 1982 Townsend joined The Blues Band, in a line up including Paul Jones, guitarists Dave Kelly and Tom McGuinness also bassist Gary Fletcher.[6] He has also appeared with Jones and McGuinness in the Manfred Mann splinter band The Manfreds.

Townsend once said in an interview:

I have come home from tours absolutely dead on my feet and I will get a call to go and play at a local pub because their regular drummer can't do it and I say yes…When I am not playing I go to drum shops or music shows. I just love it. I feel so lucky to be able to be doing something I love to do and to be able to earn a living from it.[1]

Townsend mentioned jazz greats Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa as influences in the same interview.[1]

• Rob Townsend interview with Mark Forster
• Rawlings, Terry. Then, now and rare British beat 1960-1969. Omnibus press (2002). ISBN 978-0-7119-9094-4
• Buckley, Peter. The rough guide to rock. Rough Guides (2003). ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0
• Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness (1992). Item notes ver 2. Digitized (19 June 2007). ISBN 978-1-882267-02-6
• Strong, Martin Charles and Peel, John. The Great Rock Discography. Canongate US (2004). 7th edition. ISBN 978-1-84195-615-2

• Strange Band: The Family Home Page