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Roy Hollingworth

Roy Hollingworth

Roy Hollingworth was a regular reviewer and writer for Melody Maker in the '70s. He later relocated to New York and began a parallel life as a singer, later leading the band Roy & the Rams. Roy died in London in March 2002.

Richard Williams' Guardian obituary

51 articles

List of articles in the library

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Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix Today

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 5 September 1970

Rock's most influential guitarist on music, drugs, politics, and his plans for a new big band ...

Leonard Cohen: "The greatest thing would be to play a concert in front of fifty thousand middle-aged people"

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 5 September 1970

LEONARD COHEN, man or myth, or what? He's a dreamer, but as he says his dreams are only products of real things, and fact. Basically ...

Stone the Crows: Fire and soul from the Crows' nest

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 5 September 1970

AFTER JULIE Driscoll and Christine Perfect, who is going to be the next British female blues singer? Tiresome, boring question? Not anymore because her name ...

Tony Joe White: This Here, Y'all, Is Tony Joe

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 5 September 1970

PEOPLE OFTEN ask what it's like to interview pop stars. Well like most things in life, there are the good times, and the bad times, ...

Bread: Central London Polytechnic, London

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 19 September 1970

IT WOULD be totally unfair to deal harsh criticism on Bread's ludicrous first ever British appearance, at the Central London Polytechnic, on Friday night. Ludicrous, yes ...

Eric Burdon, War: War: Carrying A Heavy Burdon For Peace

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 3 October 1970

EIGHTEEN MONTHS ago in Los Angeles, Eric Burdon, six coloured guys, and a Danish harp player declared war on everything detrimental to mankind, except flesh ...

Blind Faith, Family, Traffic: Ric Grech: Traffic's One Big Happy Family

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 10 October 1970

IT WAS good to see Ric again. We talked in melancholic tones of hazy days when gangster Grech, cigarette hanging from his lips, pumped out ...

Johnny Winter: Johnny Winter And... (CBS)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 17 October 1970

OH YES! Great stuff, funky, pumpy, loud and brash and damned uncouth — which is the way R&B should be played. ...

Taste Split: Background To A Bust Up — How Taste Went Sour

Report and Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 17 October 1970

Exclusive report from Ireland on the break-up of a mighty successful band by Roy Hollingworth ...

Stone The Crows: Maggie Rings The Bell

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 24 October 1970

Roy Hollingworth talks to the girl with the hottest new voice in rock... ...

Bill Graham: The Man The US Kids Love To Hate

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 14 November 1970

BREAKFAST at London's Savoy Hotel with Bill Graham. The man, who has the high cheekbones and thick mouth of an American Indian, and the thundering ...

Derek & The Dominos: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (Polydor)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 12 December 1970

Beauty and boredom from Eric ...

Climax Blues Band: Climax Chicago Blues Band: A Lot of Bottle (Harvest)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 19 December 1970

THERE LIES on this album one of the most exciting, imaginative guitar solos I've heard for a long time from Pete Haycock on 'Seventh Son', ...

T. Rex: T. Rex (Fly)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 26 December 1970

T. Rex goes funky ...

The Stooges: Fun House (Elektra).

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 26 December 1970

NEXT TO GRAND Funk Railroad, this is the worst album I've heard this year. In truth it's a muddy load of sluggish, unimaginative rubbish heavily ...

Leonard Cohen: Songs Of Love And Hate

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 2 January 1971

LEONARD COHEN in a deeper emotional trough than he's ever been in, more hypnotic, more melancholic than ever, and without doubt the least musical stuff ...

Patto: Speakeasy, London

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 16 January 1971

PATTO ARE better than most rock bands for two reasons – they play without any sense of snobbery (no boring ego jams), and secondly because ...

T. Rex: Revaluing the Marc

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 13 February 1971

MARC BOLAN, teased, stimulated and tempted by the midday wine, looned around in the rain and stood in humorous mood viewing the vast hulk of ...

James Brown: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 20 March 1971

The clockwork king of soul? ...

Van Der Graaf Generator: Oh What A Boar!

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 20 March 1971

SATURDAY morning. The Van der Graaf Generator truck speeds and wobbles along the motorway, northbound. It's a clear day, around lunchtime, and we're beginning to ...

Van Der Graaf Generator: Melody Maker Band Breakdown: Van der Graaf Generator

Report and Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 1 May 1971

If it's Thursday, it must be Ormskirk. ...

Van der Graaf Generator: Not so much a band, more a meeting place

Special Feature by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 1 May 1971

THERE'S A Sopwith Camel perched on Peter Hammill's piano, or maybe it's an SE5. I can't see too clearly, because Peter's way down in the ...

The Byrds: Byrd Watching (part 1)

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 8 May 1971

Roger McGuinn: into the mystic ...

The Byrds: Colston Hall, Bristol

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 8 May 1971

A PINCH of snuff, the eucalyptus stabs the eye. McGuinn fastens the tin and slips it into his suit pocket. The rest of the guy's ...

The Dixie Flyers, Rita Coolidge: The Dixie Flyers

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 15 May 1971

THEY'VE BEEN called the best rhythm section in the States — don't ask me who called them that, but I figure the guy who did ...

Carole King, Danny Kortchmar, The Fugs, James Taylor, Jo Mama: Danny Kootch: Danny Boy

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 24 July 1971

YOU GET this sweaty little record company office and you're issued with the regulation afternoon tea or coffee. Danny Kootch looks suitably bloated by both ...

Wishbone Ash: Hot Ash

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 7 August 1971

STEVE UPTON of Wishbone Ash. What sort of audience did he think the band had? ...

The James Gang: Home James: The James Gang

Report and Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 14 August 1971

IT'S USUAL procedure to interview Americans as they come into the country – not as they're going out. ...

Ike & Tina Turner: What You Hear is What You Get (United Artists)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 18 September 1971

Torrid Tina ...

Allman Brothers Band: The Allman Brothers Band: Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East (Atlantic)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 18 September 1971

QUESTION: GIVEN 76 minutes 26 seconds of the day to do sweet flaming all, what would you do (a) attend one and a bit funerals ...

Wishbone Ash: Pilgrimage

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 2 October 1971

WELL, AS you may have guessed, a lot of us have fallen in love with this little band, and there are a load of reasons ...

John Lennon: Imagine (Apple)

Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 9 October 1971

All we need is Lennon ...

Wishbone Ash: Lucky Breaks For Wishbone

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 13 Fall 1971

JOHN PEEL: "I heard Wishbone Ash for the first time, and haven't been so impressed with a relatively new band for a long time. Their ...

Rory Gallagher: Music For Belfast: Rory Gallagher

Report and Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 8 January 1972

BELFAST GOT A rock'n'roll concert on New Year's Day in the City's notorious Ulster Hall. Heading the bill was Rory Gallagher.  It was the first ...

Colin Blunstone: Like a choirboy with soul

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 4 March 1972

COLIN BLUNSTONE is possibly the best singer around. There are reasons. There have to be. ...

Leonard Cohen: The Cohen songs you'll never hear

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 4 March 1972

A remarkable interview with LEONARD COHEN... by Roy Hollingworth ...

Syd Barrett, MC5: Syd Barrett: The Madcap returns

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 4 March 1972

SYD BARRETT'S new band, Stars, made their strange debut at Cambridge Corn Exchange last week. Roy Hollingworth reports... ...

Walter/Wendy Carlos: The Walter Carlos Sonic Boom

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 23 September 1972

"There's music in the sighing of a reed; There's music in the gushing of a rill; There's music in all things, if man had ears; The Earth is ...

T. Rex: Will America Learn To Love Marc Bolan?

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 23 September 1972

T. REX are making another attempt to win the hearts of young America. But it don't come easy, as MM's Roy Hollingworth reports... ...

David Bowie: Carnegie Hall, New York NY

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 7 October 1972

Can Bowie save New York from boredom? ...

Frank Barsalona Is Probably Rock's Most Successful Agent. His Wife Says It's Because He Really Cares

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 7 October 1972

IT'S SUPER being a rock 'n' roll mogul. ...

Max's Kansas City... Yawn

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 7 October 1972

MAX'S KANSAS City stands on Park Avenue South, with 17th Street, New York City, downtown enough to be not so bright, and far less peopled. ...

Queen Elizabeth, Sparks, Suicide, Teenage Lust & the Lustettes: In New York City, Rock has Created Things that Reach from Obscenity to Musical Vomit

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 21 October 1972

New York Report by Roy Hollingworth ...

Led Zeppelin: City Hall, Newcastle

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 9 December 1972

ROY HOLLINGWORTH reports as Led Zeppelin open their giant British tour... ...

Bette Midler: The Shape (40-22-36) Of Things To Come

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 17 February 1973

Roy Hollingworth meets the divine Miss Midler ...

Leonard Cohen: Cohen, Cohen, Gone: Leonard Cohen

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 24 February 1973

"LET'S sing a song, boys. . . . This one has grown old and bitter"– fragment from Songs of Love and Hate ...

Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure

Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 17 March 1973

...is the title of Roxy Music's sensational second album. Roy Hollingworth presents an exclusive preview with comments from Roxy's Bryan Ferry. ...

David Bowie: Cha...Cha...Cha...Changes — A Journey with Aladdin

Report and Interview by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 12 May 1973

CHARING CROSS STATION, London, 9.10 pm: And when he arrived they screamed and they cried, and they rushed, and gushed forth and beat their feverish ...

The Kinks, Sly & the Family Stone, Edgar Winter: The Kinks: Thank you for the days, Ray

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 21 July 1973

ROY HOLLINGWORTH adds a sad chapter to the Kinks chronicle ...

New York Dolls: The New York Dolls: Music in a Doll's House

Report by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker, 24 November 1973

From America MM previews the New York Dolls, who start a British tour this week ...

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Crystal Palace Bowl, London

Live Review by Roy Hollingworth, New Music News, 14 June 1980

AS MARLEY got more and more into it, a controlled zombie look-alike waded slowly, mechanically, into the pond until the fetid, oily liquid washed heavily ...

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