Andrew Bodnar obit

RIP Andrew Bodnar (The Rumour) 

He was not on the list.

And now a year after Bob Andrews passed, bassist Andrew Bodnar is gone, per Dave Robinson of Stiff Records.

A great bassist, besides the Rumour and Graham Parker's solo records, Andrew Bodnar also appeared on Nick Lowe's "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" with Bob Andrews (both got a co-write) and he also played on Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives," The Pretenders' cover of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" on Learning to Crawl, and a few of Garland Jeffreys's best records.

He grew up in Clapham, South London. After meeting drummer Steve Goulding, the two began playing together as a rhythm section while still at school. They spent their teenage years auditioning and busking whenever they could, and were gigging around London with a Cajun-influenced band called Bontemps Roulez just prior to forming The Rumour in 1975. Bodnar is probably best known for his membership with Graham Parker and The Rumour from 1975 to 1980, for playing the distinctive reggae-flavoured bassline on "Watching the Detectives" by Elvis Costello, and for bass playing and co-writing Nick Lowe's "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", which he co-wrote with Lowe and Goulding.

Bodnar went on to become the Thompson Twins' touring bassist, promoting their hit album Quick Step & Side Kick during 1982-83, and since played live, or on recording sessions for many artists, including Angie Bowie, The Pretenders, and Tina Turner. He also played bass for Graham Parker on his various solo albums from 1988 through the mid-1990s. Graham Parker and The Rumour reunited in 2011 to record two new albums, and they toured the UK, US and Europe through to late 2015.

He played himself in the Judd Apatow film, This Is 40, released in December 2012.

Andrew Bodnar died in January 2026, at the age of 71.

Partial discography

 

Graham Parker and the Rumour

Howlin' Wind (1976)

Heat Treatment (1976)

Stick to Me (1977)

The Parkerilla (1978)

Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)

The Up Escalator (1980)

Three Chords Good (2012)

Mystery Glue (2015)

The Rumour

Max (1977)

Frogs Sprouts Clogs And Krauts (1978)

Purity Of Essence (1980)

Graham Parker

The Mona Lisa's Sister (1988)

Human Soul (1989)

Struck By Lightning (1991)

Burning Questions (1992)

Acid Bubblegum (1996)

Other artists

Renowned – Gay & Terry Woods (1976)

"Watching the Detectives" – Elvis Costello (single, 1977)

Carlene Carter – Carlene Carter (1978)

Jesus of Cool – Nick Lowe (1978)

Black & Dekker – Desmond Dekker (1980)

Escape Artist – Garland Jeffreys (1981)

Rock 'n' Roll Adult – Garland Jeffreys (1981)

Learning to Crawl – the Pretenders (1984)

The Rose of England – Nick Lowe (1985)

The Blue Hour – Raise the Dragon (1985)

The Sing Market – The Sing Market (1986)