Glenn Cornick

Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick (23 April 1947 – 28 August 2014) was a British bass player, best known as a founding member of the British band Jethro Tull. Rolling Stone has called his playing with Tull as "stout, nimble underpinning, the vital half of a blues-ribbed, jazz-fluent rhythm section".^[1]

Early life and career

Cornick attended Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School for Boys and then moved to Blackpool^[2] where he joined a soul band called John Evan Smash^[3] in which Ian Anderson and guitarist Mick Abrahams were also members. Drummer Clive Bunker who was a friend of Abrahams then joined them to form Jethro Tull.^[4]

Wild Turkey

After leaving Jethro Tull, Cornick played as a session musician for Leigh Stephens in his 1971 album And a Cast of Thousands.^[5] In the same year, he formed Wild Turkey, initially with: Graham Williams (guitar), Alan 'Tweke' Lewis (guitar), John "Pugwash" Weathers (ex-Pete Brown & Piblokto!) (drums) and Gary Pickford-Hopkins (ex-Eyes of Blue) on vocals; but Weathers and Williams left to join Graham Bond's Magick before Wild Turkey recorded any material - soon after, Weathers joined the progressive rock band Gentle Giant. They were replaced by Jon Blackmore (guitar and vocals) and Jeff Jones (ex-Man) (drums) who joined Cornick, Tweke and Pickford-Hopkins to record Wild Turkey's first album Battle Hymn - which only reached number 193 in The Billboard 200.^[6]

Karthago and Paris

Cornick then joined the German band Karthago with whom he recorded just one album Rock'N'Roll Testament before leaving and moving to Los Angeles to form Paris with guitarist Bob Welch (ex-Fleetwood Mac) and Thom Mooney (ex-Nazz) on drums. They recorded an eponymous album Paris in 1975, before Mooney was replaced by Hunt Sales (ex-Todd Rundgren's Runt), and in 1976 recorded Big Towne, 2061. Paris disbanded in 1977.

Wild Turkey again, the 1990s and recent work

In 1996, Cornick participated in a Jethro Tull tribute, called To Cry You A Song - A collection of Tull Tales, playing on the songs "Nothing Is Easy", "To Cry You a Song", "New Day Yesterday", "Teacher" and "Living in the Past", together with the former Tull members Clive Bunker, Mick Abrahams and Dave Pegg, together with John Wetton, Glenn Hughes, Robby Steinhardt, Wolfstone and Keith Emerson.^[7]

In the early 2000s two live albums were released, and in 2006 the fourth studio album, You and Me in the Jungle, was recorded by Cornick, Pickford-Hopkins, Dyche and Gurl, who had all appeared on earlier albums. They were joined by Graham Williams (ex-Racing Cars) (guitar), John "Pugwash" Weathers (percussion) and Clive Bunker (ex-Jethro Tull) (drums) all of whom had played with Cornick in the past.^[8]

Death

Cornick died in Hilo, Hawaii, on 28 August 2014 due to congestive heart failure.^[9][10]

His death was noticed in especialized media, such as the ProgMagazine^[11] and Rolling Stone.^[12] Jethro Tull band-mate Ian Anderson paid tribute on the band's website.^[13] Martin Barre also lamented the death of his friend.^[14]

Discography

With Jethro Tull

• This Was (1968)
• Stand Up (1969)
• Benefit (1970)
• Living in the Past (1972 compilation)
• Nothing is Easy - Live at the Isle of Wight (1970 - released in 2004)

With Wild Turkey

• Battle Hymn (1971)
• Turkey (1972)
• Don't Dare To Forget (1974) (3 new tracks on a 4 disc sampler)
• Stealer of Years (1996)
• Final Performance (2000)
• Live In Edinburgh (2001)
• You & Me in the Jungle (2006)

With Karthago

• Rock 'N' Roll Testament (1975) Bellaphon 288-09-036

With Paris

• Paris (1976) - Zoom Club ZCRCD56
• Big Towne, 2061 (1976) - Zoom Club ZCRCD62

References

External links

• Glenn Cornick official website
• Glenn Cornick Biography on Jethro Tull website
• A very good discography for Glenn Cornick compiled by Charles Kenney and designed by Steve Gugerty can be found at The Jethro Tull Groups chat page at http://jethrotullgroup.proboards.com/thread/460/glenn-cornicks-complete-discography