Zoot Money was a keyboardist and actor whose shift from R&B to psychedelia in the 1960s saw him playing with acts like The Animals, Humble Pie, and others, as well as his own group, Big Roll Band.
- Died: September 8, 2024 (Who else died on September 8?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 82.
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Zoot Money’s legacy
Born George Bruno Money and taking the name “Zoot” from jazz musician Zoot Sims, Money studied classical music at Portchester Secondary School in England, yet found himself drawn towards the jazz music coming from the United States. In 1961, he formed Big Roll Band, famously named after a misheard Chuck Berry lyric – specifically “big ol’ band,” from “Johnny B. Goode.” Money’s group specialized in soul- and jazz-infused R&B, shifting towards psychedelic rock as the decade wore on.
By the end of the 1960s, Money was regularly working with acts and artists such as Eric Burdon and The Animals, Humble Pie, Alvin Lee, Peter Green, Kevin Coyne, and many others, laying down keyboards for them on their albums. Meanwhile, Big Roll Band was helping develop artists who would go on to be successful in their own right, such as future Police guitarist Andy Summers.
Money began to take up acting in the 1970s, in both film and television. He is best known for playing Lotterby in the 1979 film “Porridge.” His other on-screen appearances include in the Madness movie “Take It or Leave It,” the 1984 film adaptation of “Supergirl,” and the TV soap opera “EastEnders.”
Money continued to record music and play concerts throughout his life. He recorded 10 solo albums between 1968 and 2016, played on scores of others for dozens of fellow musicians over the years, and was still playing keyboards for a wide variety of artists well into the 2000s.
Tributes to Zoot Money
Full obituary: The Telegraph
