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Keith Relf | |
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 Relf in 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Keith Relf |
| Born | (1943-03-22)22 March 1943 Richmond, England |
| Died | 12 May 1976(1976-05-12) (aged 33) Hounslow, Greater London, England |
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| Years active | 1956–1976 |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | keithrelf |
William Keith Relf (22 March 1943 – 12 May 1976) was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player forrock bandthe Yardbirds. He then formed the bandRenaissance with his sisterJane Relf, the Yardbirds ex-drummerJim McCarty and ex-The Nashville Teens keyboardistJohn Hawken.
Relf was born in the Richmond Institution on 22 March 1943 to Mary Elsie Vickers and William Arthur Percy Relf. Keith had a sisterJane. His father was a builder, while his mother was a housewife.[1]
Relf started playing in bands around the summer of 1956 as a singer, guitarist, and harmonica player.[2]
Relf co-wrote many of the original Yardbirds songs ("Shapes of Things", "I Ain't Done Wrong", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"), later showing a leaning towards acoustic/folk music as the sixties unfolded ("Only the Black Rose").[3] He also sang an early version of "Dazed and Confused" in live Yardbirds concerts, after hearing musicianJake Holmes perform the song, which was later recorded by the band's successor groupLed Zeppelin.[4]
His debut solo single, "Mr. Zero", peaked at No. 50 in theUK Singles Chart in May 1966.[5]
After the Yardbirds broke up in July 1968, Relf formed theacousticduo Together, with fellow YardbirdJim McCarty, followed immediately byRenaissance (which also featured his sisterJane Relf).[6] After leaving Renaissance in 1970, he started producing other artists:Steamhammer, folk rock bandHunter Muskett, the acousticworld music groupAmber, psychedelic band Saturnalia,[7] and blues rock bandMedicine Head (with whom he also played bass guitar).[8] In 1974, he formed progressive/rock groupArmageddon. Their self-titled debut,Armageddon, was recorded in England and released in the United States onA&M Records. The album's original liner notes used the term "supergroup"; their personnel (besides Relf) included drummerBobby Caldwell (previously a member ofCaptain Beyond andJohnny Winter's band), guitaristMartin Pugh (fromSteamhammer,The Rod Stewart Album, and later of7th Order),[9] and bassistLouis Cennamo (also formerly of Renaissance and Steamhammer).[10]
In 1966, he married April Liversidge. They had two sons, Danny and Jason.[11]
On 12 May 1976, Relf died in the basement of his home at age 33 fromelectrocution while playing an ungrounded electric guitar. He had had several health problems throughout his life, includingemphysema andasthma. He may have been taking medications such astheophylline commonly used to treat those diseases at the time, and these drugs may have led totachycardia and/orarrhythmia which possibly contributed to his inability to survive theelectric shock.[12][13] His death was announced two days later on 14 May, which is sometimes erroneously listed as the date of his death.[14]
He was buried inRichmond Cemetery.[15]
Relf's posthumous 1992Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with the Yardbirds was represented by his widow April, and sons Danny and Jason ("Jay").[16]
Most of Relf'srecordings were released under the name of the group he was in at the time. However, an early attempt was made to establish him as a solo musician, and two singles came out under his own name in 1966.[17]
A further single appeared in 1989:
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