Keith Ellis (musician)

Keith Ellis
Ellis as part of The Koobas in 1966
Ellis as part of The Koobas in 1966
Background information
Birth nameKeith Ian Ellis
Born(1946-03-19)19 March 1946
Matlock, England
Died12 December 1978(1978-12-12) (aged 32)
Darmstadt, Germany
GenresRock
InstrumentBass guitar

Keith Ian Ellis (19 March 1946 – 12 December 1978) was an English bass player. He was born in Matlock, Derbyshire.[1] He is known for his associations with The Koobas, The Misunderstood and Juicy Lucy. He was also a member of Van der Graaf Generator from 1968 to 1969.[2] Ellis worked with Mike Patto and Ollie Halsall's band Boxer from 1975 until late 1976 when the original line-up split.[3]

Ellis died in Darmstadt, Germany in 1978, whilst on tour with Iron Butterfly. No cause of death was determined,[3] although the music journalist Ralph Heibutzki reported in a 2011 edition of Ugly Things that he was the victim of an accidental drug overdose.[4] He left behind a widow, Deborah.

The song "Not For Keith" on the album pH7 by Peter Hammill, (1979) was a tribute to Ellis.[5]

  1. ^ Christopulos, J., and Smart, P., Van der Graaf Generator – The Book, p. 23. (Phil and Jim Publishers, 2005.) ISBN 978-0955133701
  2. ^ "Keith Ellis". Vandergraafgenerator.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  3. ^ a b Christopulos and Smart, Van der Graaf Generator, p. 47.
  4. ^ Heibutzki, Ralph, "Traveling Show: The Serendipitous & Surreal Six-Stringed Life & Times Of Ollie Halsall, part 3", Ugly Things, issue no.31, Spring 2011.
  5. ^ "Sofa Sound". Sofa Sound. Retrieved 16 June 2013.