Stuart Wood | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Stuart John Wood |
Also known as | "Woody" |
Born | Edinburgh, Scotland | 25 February 1957
Genres | Rock, pop rock, Celtic |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals |
Years active | 1970–present |
Member of | Bay City Rollers |
Stuart John "Woody" Wood (born 25 February 1957), is a Scottish musician, songwriter and producer. Wood is best known as the guitarist for the 1970s band the Bay City Rollers since joining in 1974. [1] Since 1996, Wood has released over 50 records of Celtic music on his own label.
Stuart John Wood was born and raised in Edinburgh. He grew up listening to jazz and classical such as Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller, and wasn't interested in pop music until he was 14–15 when he friend asked him to play guitar in a pop band he was forming in school. [2]
Wood's professional career began in 1974, aged 17, when he joined The Bay City Rollers. [1]
In the UK during the 1970s, the Bay City Rollers went number one twice, and had 6 records Certified silver and 2 Certified gold. [3]
Wood played rhythm guitar until 1976, when bassist Alan Longmuir left the band and was replaced by Ian Mitchell, then Wood moved to bass guitar.
In 1982, Wood, Les McKeown, Alan and Derek Longmuir, Ian Mitchell, and Pat McGlynn reunited for a tour of Japan that lasted until the next year. [4]
Since 1996, Wood has released over 50 records of Celtic music on his own label. [5] Solo studio albums are: In Different Skies, Attic Archives, Slide, Sky Light, and Stay Safe (An Instrumental Journey Through Lockdown). [6]
Throughout the 2000s, Wood and several other members of the band were in court trying to receive unpaid royalties. [7] [8]
When the band reformed for a reunion tour in 2015, Wood announced in 2016 that he was bowing out stating that disputes with Les McKeown had left him no choice. [9] Wood posted to social media: "Hi all... just to say TITP (T In The Park, Scottish festival) is my last gig. Disappointed is an understatement but outwith my control."
In 2003, Wood and other musicians opened "The Music Kitchen". [10]
In 2019, Les McKeown accused Wood of "exaggerating" his friendship the death of Alan Longmuir to promote shows Wood was performing at. [11]
Wood remains active with the Bay City Rollers and released their new single "Keep On Rollin" August 2024 with a new album to follow. Wood is the only original member of Bay City Rollers in the current lineup. [2] Wood invited original Bay City Rollers singer, Gordon Clark, to re-record "Keep On Dancing", the bands first hit single, in 2024. [12] [ deprecated source ] The two also took part in an interview nearly 50 years after Clark left the band. [12] [ deprecated source ]
Wood lived in South Africa for a few years after the Bay City Rollers stopped touring. Wood lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was also born and raised, with his wife Denise. [13] He taught Music Technology at a local college. [14] In 2019, while on holiday in East Lothian, he rescued a ten-year old labrador that went missing in North Berwick two days before. [15] [16] He had found the dog in a rough area of town covered with broken bottles, and discovered the dog obscured in a manhole. [2]
In April 2020, Wood's father passed away from Coronavirus. [17]
The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and are one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beatles". The group's line-up had many changes over the years, but the classic roster during its peak in popularity included guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, singer Les McKeown, bassist Alan Longmuir and his younger brother Derek Longmuir as drummer. The current line-up includes original guitarist Stuart "Woody" Wood, singer Ian Thomson, bassist Mikey Smith, keyboardist/singer John McLaughlin and drummer Jamie McGrory.
Thomas Dougal "Tam" Paton was a pop group manager, most notably of the Scottish boy band the Bay City Rollers, and convicted child sex offender.
Leslie Richard McKeown was a Scottish singer. He was the lead vocalist of the pop rock band Bay City Rollers during their most successful period in the 1970s.
Patrick James "Pat" McGlynn is a former rhythm guitarist for the Bay City Rollers.
Eric Faulkner is a guitarist, songwriter and singer, best known as a member of the Scottish pop band the Bay City Rollers.
Once Upon a Star is the second studio album by the Bay City Rollers. Released in May 1975, the album features the UK number-one hit single, "Bye Bye Baby".
Alan Longmuir was a Scottish musician and a founding member of the pop group the Bay City Rollers. He played the bass guitar, whilst his younger brother Derek Longmuir was drummer.
Derek Longmuir is a Scottish former drummer and a founding member of the pop group Bay City Rollers. His elder brother Alan Longmuir played bass guitar in the group.
Rollin', released in 1974, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers. The album included three British chart hits and the debut of "Saturday Night", never a British hit yet a No. 1 smash in America, later.
Bay City Rollers, released in late 1975, was the first full-length album by Scotland's Bay City Rollers to be issued in the US and Canada. The compilation, which hit No. 1 in the RPM Canadian album chart on 7 February 1976 and reached as high as No. 20 on the US album chart, included the US and Canadian #1 hit single "Saturday Night".
Wouldn't You Like It? is the third studio album by the Scottish pop rock group Bay City Rollers. The LP, issued in the UK in late 1975, saw a marked change in the group's musical direction: all the songs save one were the band's own compositions. The one outside-written tune, "Give a Little Love", was a smash UK hit, and the only single released from the album. The album also included, in the form of a giant letter, a free color picture book of the individual members, with a band picture on the front.
Rock N'Roll Love Letter is an album by the Bay City Rollers. It was a North America-only release, issued in early 1976 by Arista Records, catalogue #4071.
Dedication is an album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in September 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976.
It's a Game is an album by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers, issued in the summer of 1977.
Strangers in the Wind is a 1978 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the group's sixth original studio album, and second consecutive disc to feature the production work of Harry Maslin, who produced hits for Air Supply.
Elevator is a 1979 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. Having replaced longtime lead singer Les McKeown with Duncan Faure, the group shortened their name to simply The Rollers, and pursued a more rocking, power-pop sound than their previous work.
Ricochet is a 1981 album by the Bay City Rollers, credited as The Rollers. The album was the third and final release under this band name. In Canada, it saw release on Epic Records as "The Brown Bag Album" and later appeared with a promotional sticker which said, "The Famous Brownbag Album Now Exposed!"
Voxx is a 1980 rock album by the Bay City Rollers. It was the second of three LPs the group issued as The Rollers.
The Krofft Superstar Hour is a Saturday morning children's variety show, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. After eight episodes, the show was renamed The Bay City Rollers Show. It aired for one season from September 9, 1978 to January 27, 1979 on NBC. NBC also ran other repeat Krofft shows in an unrelated umbrella titled slot, Krofft Superstars, from 1978 to 1985.
Greatest hits is a 1977 Arista Records compilation album by the Bay City Rollers. It includes songs from five of their first seven studio albums.