Ronnie Caryl obit

Ronnie Caryl passed away

Phil's long-time companion died on 18 December

 

He was not on the list.

Ronnie Caryl, a long-time companion of Phil Collins and a member of his solo band since 1996, passed away on 18 December. Annie Callingham, who looked after Phil Collins' personal affairs for over 34 years, informed us in an email. Annie received this information directly from Ronnie's wife Melanie. According to the information, Ronnie was ill recently, but seemed to have recovered before his condition quickly and surprisingly went downhill.

Ronnie and Phil shared a long musical partnership and their younger years in particular were to shape both of their lives. Both were members of the bands Hickory and Flaming Youth and both auditioned for Genesis. Whilst Phil was given the position of drummer, Ronnie was unsuccessful as an auditioning guitarist. Around 25 years later, Phil brought Ronnie into his solo band and he also played on his album Dance Into The Light. Ronnie last appeared on stage with Phil on the (Still) Not Dead Yet Tour. Ronnie Caryl was 70 years old. R.I.P.

Phil Collins was 18 when, with his friend and accomplice guitarist Ronnie Caryl, he accompanied American singer John Walker of the Walker Brothers on tour in Great Britain. The other two musicians were Gordon "Flash" Smith on bass and Brian Chatton, the ex-organist of the Warriors, the former band of Jon Anderson. When the tour ended, the four musicians decided to stay together and try their luck as a group, so they formed Hickory and recorded a single, "Green Light/The Key", released by CBS Records on 24 January 1969. This formation would eventually become Flaming Youth, when they met authors Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley who offered to record their album. The group signed with Fontana Records and recorded the album Ark II in 1969, which was ranked "Album of the Month" by the British music magazine Melody Maker. The band played at the London Planetarium for the launch of the album in 1969. After a few concerts, the group no longer managed to generate interest from both the public and the media, and despite the addition of a new musician, the organist Rod Mayall (the brother of John Mayall), Flaming Youth disbanded. Through the years Caryl and Collins remained friends, and Caryl was best man at Collins's first wedding. In 1970, they both auditioned for Genesis and whilst Collins obtained the job as drummer, Caryl was unsuccessful and after a brief stint with Mick Barnard on guitar, Steve Hackett was recruited as a permanent replacement lead guitarist for Anthony Phillips.

Caryl went on to play in some other bands, including Sanctuary in 1972, with whom he recorded an unreleased album. By the following year he joined the jazz rock outfit, Zox & the Radar Boys, including Peter Banks, Mike Piggott and Phil Collins.

Over the years Caryl worked alongside Phil Collins, plus David Hentschel, Michel Polnareff, Lulu, Stephen Bishop, Eric Clapton, Gary Brooker, Maggie Bell and John Otway. The English guitarist was a member of the band Flaming Youth.