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Glenn 'The Judge' Lee C.1948 - 2020

Southampton drummer / vocalist Glenn Lee passed away
during the first week of June, aged 71, from cancer.

His musical career began around 1964 as a member of the five

piece R&B group, The Abdomen. A year later, along with the
group's bass player, they joined Circle Plantagenet, a group
who performed mostly original material. Regular trips to London-based

record companies brought much critical
acclaim but no record deals.

I think it was sometime in 1971 that I

approached Glenn with the idea of us
forming a duo, it would make a lot of sense

financially and, not a lot of gear to cart
around. He agreed and we called ourselves
Jelly Roll.

We played some pretty rough and ready

blues, but to our surprise, found ourselves
booked into working men's clubs, social

clubs and quite a few pubs. We were
delighted the following year at being asked

to be the support act for Dr. Isaiah Ross,
the one man blues band from Detroit.

Then came gigs, or sitting in with,
Sunnyland Slim, Lightning Slim,Baby Boy

Warren and Boogie Woogie Red. Altogether,
a fantastic run of five years worth of blues and many laughs.

Next for Glenn, was the soul / disco outfit Rubber Band. Then, for approximately two years,
beginning 1985, Glenn toured as drummer in Mungo Jerry, before playing for China Heat.

Their first gig was at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre! They were also often used in
studio work as the backing band for many artists.

Although I'd not seen or spoken to him since 2008, I will miss him. One of the real characters

of the local music scene and a great drummer.

Bob Pearce