Pete Zorn, American musician, Died at 65

  Music

Pete Zorn was born on May 29, 1950, and died on April 19, 2016.

He was an American multi-instrumentalist.

He played roots music.

Pete was a longstanding member of Richard Thompson’s touring band, where he served as backing vocalist and played acoustic guitar, mandolin, saxophone, flute, and tin whistle.

Zorn was also a bass guitarist.

While he was regularly toured with Thompson, Zorn also played with many other singers and groups including Arizona Smoke Revue, formed by older brother Bill Zorn, Show of Hands, the Phil Beer Band, Elaine Paige, Thomas Anders, Gerry Rafferty, Barbara Dickson, Chris Rainbow, and his band WAZ, which features Steve Tilston.

Pete Zorn appeared in the UK top 10 in 1979 as part of Driver 67 with his brother-in-law Paul Phillips on the single “Car 67”.

Pete Zorn and Phillips met when Zorn came to London with Fishbaugh, Fishbaugh and Zorn, a three-piece folk rock band signed to CBS Records in London.

Because he was his talent on so many instruments and his vocal range, Pete became a staple of many sessions produced by Phillips in the early and mid-seventies.

Following the hit with Car 67, the couple made an album called Hey Mister Record Man, under the name Tax Loss.

Also, Bill and Conrad Zorn also played.

In 2009 Zorn joined Steeleye Span on the spring section of the band’s 40th-anniversary tour, replacing Rick Kemp, who was absent for health reasons.

Pete Zorn also replaced Kemp on the American and Australian legs of the tour.

However, Kemp returned for the winter leg of the tour, but Zorn stayed with the band as a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist due to various strains on the band.

Pete Zorn played on the albums Now We Are Six Again and Wintersmith and appeared on all Steeleye tours until spring 2015, when he left the band.

Pete Zorn passed away at 65 yrs old.