Herbie Flowers

Herbie Flowers
Flowers in 2013
Background information
Birth nameBrian Keith Flowers
Born(1938-05-19)19 May 1938
Isleworth, Middlesex, England
Died5 September 2024(2024-09-05) (aged 86)
GenresRock
OccupationMusician
Instruments
Years active1956–2010
Formerly of

Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers (19 May 1938 – 5 September 2024) was an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba. He was a member of groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and was also a prolific session musician.

Flowers contributed to recordings by Elton John, Camel, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Roy Harper, David Essex, Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Harry Nilsson, Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. He also played bass on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

He created his most famous bassline for Lou Reed's 1972 hit single "Walk on the Wild Side" from the album Transformer. By the end of the 1970s, Flowers had played bass on an estimated 500 hit recordings.