John Lawton (11 July 1946 – 29 June 2021)
This is another tough one and a sad day for the Uriah Heep family.
This is my tribute to vocalist John Lawton who has sadly passed away. Although some Uriah Heep fans may see the David Byron years as the time when the band were at their peak, many other fans view all their albums and different lineups as being part of one musical family.
This is how I view the band and is similar to how I view Deep Purple. Each lineup has brought something unique and special to the bands legacy.
John Lawton made three studio albums with the band Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) and Fallen Angel (1978). They all have magical moments but it is Fallen Angel that I play the most. Seen as a bit too close to a pop-rock album by some I just feel John’s vocals complement Ken Hensley’s songs so well on this.
This is especially true for me on songs such as Falling In Love, Wad’ya Say and the truly wonderful title track Fallen Angel. All three of these songs feature the trademark vocal harmonies that make Uriah Heep so special.
I first discovered John Lawton via his previous band Lusicfers Friend and highly recommended the first album from 1970. It is a must for Deep Purple and Uriah Deep Fans.
So thank you John for the music and my thoughts are with John’s Family, Mick Box, the band, and Uriah Heep fans everywhere.
Phil Aston
Now Spinning
www.nowspinning.co.uk