Saturday, November 16, 2013

Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth flag
The Commonwealth of Nations are the successor to the British Empire which includes the flagship UK, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (since 1994) to name a few.  While a tonne of my favourite artists are from Britain, some are from the ex-colonies too (full-time solo in parentheses).

UK:

Asia (John Wetton, Geoffrey Downes, Steve Howe, John Payne)
The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison)
Bandit (Jim Diamond)
Black Sabbath (Ozzy Osbourne)
Kate Bush
Cockney Rebel
Culture Club (Boy George)
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode (Martin Gore, Dave Gahan)
Duran Duran (Arcadia)
Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Greg Lake)
Eurythmics (Annie Lennox)
Fleetwood Mac (Christine McVie)
Genesis (Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford)
Gentle Giant
Geordie (Brian Johnsons band before AC/DC)
GTR (Hackett/Howe supergroup)
IQ (Martin Orford)
Elton John
Kajagoogoo (Limahl)
King Crimson (Greg Lake, John Wetton)
Marillion (Fish, h)
Marilyn (born in Jamaica)
Mike & the Mechanics (Mike Rutherford)
Modern English
The Moody Blues (Justin Hayward, Denny Laine, John Lodge, Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder)
Naked Eyes (Pete Byrne)
oasis (Beady Eye, Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds)
Pallas (Alan Reed)
PhD (Jim Diamond)
Pink Floyd (David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Roger Waters, Syd Barrett)
Queen (Freddie Mercury [born in what is now Tanzania], Roger Taylor [including The Cross], Brian May)
Renaissance (Annie Haslam)
Supertramp (Roger Hodgson)
Tears for Fears (Curt Smith*)
Wham! (George Michael)
Wings (Paul McCartney, Denny Laine)
Yes (Jon Anderson*, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin*, Rick Wakeman)

Canada:

Rush (Cancon kings)
Lawrence Gowan (born in Glasgow, raised in Toronto area)
Alanis Morissette* (favourite Cancon solo)
Mystery (BenoƮt David was also in Yes)

Australia:

AC/DC (with UK natives)
INXS (have had frontmen from the UK, Canada and New Zealand as well as the US)

South Africa:

Rabbitt (Trevor Rabin*)

*now naturalised US citizens

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