GRAHAM SIMPSON

GRAHAM SIMPSON (13 OCTOBER 1943 – 16 APRIL 2012) WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER AND BASSIST OF ROXY MUSIC, AND FRIEND OF BRYAN FERRY. ON THEIR EPONYMOUS FIRST ALBUM (1972), HIS BASS NOTES MADE DISTINCTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TRACKS “LADYTRON” AND “CHANCE MEETING”. HOWEVER, NOT LONG AFTER THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED, SIMPSON, WHO WAS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER FROM CANCER,[1] WAS GIVEN AN OPEN-ENDED CHOICE TO REMAIN WITH OR TAKE A HIATUS FROM THE BAND BY FERRY. SIMPSON CHOSE TO LEAVE THE BAND AND NEVER RETURNED TO THE LINE-UP. HE USED HIS BAND ROYALTIES TO TRAVEL THE WORLD LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND RELIGIONS, PARTICULARLY SUFISM, RETURNING TO LONDON IN 1982.