James Lascelles

James Lascelles
Born James Edward Lascelles
5 October 1953
Bayswater, London, England, United Kingdom
Spouse(s) Frederica Ann Duhrssen (m. 1973–85, divorced)
Lori "Shadow" Susan Lee (m. 1985–96, divorced)
Joy Elias-Rilwan Lascelles (m. 1999–present)
Children Sophie Amber Lascelles
Rowan Nash Lascelles
Tanit Lascelles
Tewa Ziyane Robert George Lascelles
Parent(s) 7th Earl of Harewood
Marion Stein
Relatives Queen Elizabeth II (first cousin, once removed)

Musical career

Occupation(s) musician

James Edward Lascelles (born 5 October 1953), styled The Hon. James Lascelles, is a British musician and the second son of the 7th Earl of Harewood and his first wife, the former Marion Stein (subsequently Mrs. Jeremy Thorpe). His father was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, making Lascelles a first cousin, once removed, of Queen Elizabeth II and he is 56th in line to the British throne.

Music

When young, Lascelles had classical piano and drum lessons, and claims that "John Tavener 'taught' him to improvise" by performing duets on a church organ.[1]

He then became interested in jazz, blues and rock & roll.

Global Village Trucking Company

Lascelles was a co-founder of the Global Village Trucking Company, known to its fans as "The Glob's", in the early 1970s. The band, the road crew and their families all lived together in a Norfolk commune, and undertook numerous benefit concerts and free festivals, playing extended free-form jams,[2] making them a well known UK live act. The band shunned record companies, but played on the Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dance Hall benefit album in 1973, and in November 1974 they recorded an eponymous album at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales.

In 1973 the BBC made a documentary about Global Village Trucking Company, their communal living and their aim to make it without a record company. The BBC updated the documentary for the What Happened Next series, shown in May 2008, which included their first gig in 30 years.[3] This re-union led to other Global Village gigs at Glastonbury 2008 and other festivals.

Later career

Lascelles then became a session musician, until in 1980 he joined The Breakfast Band, a jazz/funk band, which released two albums, Dolphin Ride and Waters Edge, and had a dance hit, "L.A. 14".

He then took an interest in world music, recording tribal music in North Africa and New Mexico, and releasing this on his own label, Tribal Music International. He also started composing music for theatre, The Footsbarn Travelling Theatre Company and Tiata Fahodzi,[4] and film. He now plays keyboards, for Cockney Rebel and his own world music band, Talking Spirit, and works with disaffected inner-city children.[1] As of 2011 Lascelles was appearing with Mike Storey as "The Ivory Brothers".[5]

Personal life

Lascelles has been married three times. First, on 4 April 1973 in Wortham, to Frederica Ann Duhrssen (born 12 June 1954, Newport, Maine). They had two children before divorcing in 1985:

Secondly, on 4 May 1985 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Lori "Shadow" Susan Lee (29 August 1954, Albuquerque – 29 June 2001). They had two children:

James and Lori divorced in 1996.

Thirdly, Lascelles married Joy Elias-Rilwan (born 15 June 1954, Nigeria), on 30 January 1999.[6] The Hon. Mrs. Lascelles is an actress and is actively involved in efforts to combat AIDS. She has four children, and is a member of the Elias family of Yoruba chieftains in Lagos.

Ancestry

Discography

Global Village Trucking Company

The Breakfast Band

Solo

Mandyleigh Storm

Notes and sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 James Lascelles biography on jameslascelles.com; retrieved 25 November 2008.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Dave Thompson, Allmusic review of Global Village Trucking Company. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  3. "What Happened Next: Global Village Trucking Co", BBC Four; retrieved 25 November 2008.
  4. Tiata Fahodzi programme 2007 Retrieved 28 August 2009
  5. "Barsham and Albion Fairs Revisited". Diss Cornhall. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
  6. The Peerage – Joy Lascelles

External links

British royalty
Preceded by
The Hon. Edward Lascelles
Line of succession to the British throne
grandson of Mary, daughter of George V
Succeeded by
Rowan Lascelles