John Mayhew (musician)
| John Mayhew | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 March 1947 Ipswich, England |
| Origin | London, England, UK |
| Died | 26 March 2009 (aged 61) Scotland |
| Genres | Classical, rock, progressive rock |
| Instruments | Drums, percussions |
| Associated acts | Genesis |
John Mayhew (27 March 1947 - 26 March 2009) was the third drummer (as well as percussionist and vocalist) for the progressive rock band Genesis. He replaced previous drummer, John Silver, in August 1969. He appears on the album Trespass as well as the Genesis Archive 1967-75 box set. He was replaced in August 1970 by Phil Collins.
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[edit] Career
Believed to have been born in 1947, he grew up in Ipswich with his brother Paul who was some ten years older. However his parents parted and John, who by then was in his teens, went with his father. After that he saw very little of his brother, who had remained with John's mother. He inherited his love of music from his mother, and played with bands in the Ipswich area, moving to the London scene in the late sixties. In early 2009 Paul Mayhew had begun a search for him, having not seen John for 18 years and having had little to do with him since the early 1970s.[1]
[edit] Genesis
Mayhew joined Genesis in the summer of 1969 to replace departing drummer John Silver, who was moving to Cornell University in the US to study leisure management. Despite popular legend having it that he was recruited via the time-honoured method of an advert in the Melody Maker Mayhew said in a 2006 interview [2] that he was contacted by Mike Rutherford after the bassist had found his phone number, which Mayhew had been leaving 'all over London.' Come audition time the band, recalls keyboardist Tony Banks, were impressed by Mayhew’s long-haired appearance and professionalism, as well as the fact that he brought his own drums with him. Mayhew apparently sealed the deal by performing an impressive drum roll around the kit, ending with a triumphant cymbal splash, which neither of his Genesis predecessors could have managed. As well as being a professional musician, Mayhew was also handy with a tool kit and installed some proper panelling and seating in the band’s transport, a former bread delivery van. There were some struggles between the working-class Mayhew and his public school-educated peers, who were between three and four years younger than him, but he said his time with Genesis was one of the 'one of the best years of my life.'[2] He famously earned himself a good-natured rebuke from his bandmates when, upon being offered a wage of £15 per week by new record company Charisma (approximately £181 as of 2011), insisted that £10 was more than enough! Nevertheless he stayed with the band for eleven months until he was dismissed in July 1970 to make way for a more creatively-minded drummer.[3]
[edit] Post-Genesis
For many years Mayhew's post-Genesis life was a mystery to most fans. It was said that his Trespass royalty cheque had gone unclaimed, and there was speculation that he was dead or missing. In 1982 he moved to Australia, where he eventually found work as a carpenter (he also became an Australian citizen). In 1989 he briefly returned to England to visit his ailing mother.[4]
Strangely, Phil Collins would appear in a 1985 episode of Miami Vice playing a con artist named Phil Mayhew. Whether or not this was an inside joke has never been revealed.
In 2006, he attended the Genesis Convention in London (along with Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett), even playing drums for a tribute band's performance of "The Knife" (from Trespass).
[edit] Death
John Mayhew died of a heart-related condition on 26 March 2009, a day before his 62nd birthday.
His brother had believed he was living in New Zealand. It transpired that Mayhew had moved to Scotland some years previously and was working as a carpenter for a furniture company.[5]
John was working in NZ as drummer certainly during 1979-80 He was drumming and recording with Kelly & Friend. He then went over to Australia.
[edit] References
- ^ Family seek Genesis drummer
- ^ a b http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-mayhew-drummer-who-played-with-the-fledgling-genesis-on-trespass-1671354.html
- ^ [Genesis, Chapter and Verse, Banks, Gabriel et al, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2007, ISBN 978-0297844341 Genesis, Chapter and Verse]
- ^ "2006 interview with John Mayhew". Worldofgenesis.com. 2006-06-10. http://www.worldofgenesis.com/JohnMayhewInterview2006.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ^ Tragic end in search for drummer John
