BEV BEVAN

'Bev Bevan' (born Beverley Bevan, 25 November 1944, in Sparkhill, Birmingham, England) was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra. He also served as the drummer for Black Sabbath from 1983-1984 and as their percussionist in 1987. After the collapse of ELO in 1986, he founded Electric Light Orchestra Part II without the original ELO singer/songwriter, Jeff Lynne, or, indeed, any other past members of ELO.

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History

History

After education at Moseley School, his professional music career started with a stint with Denny Laine in his group ''Denny Laine and the Diplomats'', then with Carl Wayne and The Vikings, followed by The Move in 1966. The Electric Light Orchestra released their first album in 1971, by which time The Move existed only as a recording outfit. They released their final single, "California Man" in 1972, and the subsequent successes of the Electric Light Orchestra and the Roy Wood-led Wizzard led to their being laid to rest.
Bevan had a very deeply pitched singing voice. While with The Move he lent lead vocals to two tracks: a remake Of "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart" and the Country and Western send-up "Ben Crawley Steel Co".
In 1980 Bevan published a biography of the Electric Light Orchestra. He also made a solo single in 1976, a cover version of the Sandy Nelson instrumental, "Let There Be Drums".
After the death of Carl Wayne in 2004 (with a sense of timing which did not go down well with some fans), he formed a new band, "Bev Bevan's Move", with Phil Tree and former ELO Part II colleagues Phil Bates and Neil Lockwood, to play a set comprising mostly The Move classics on tour. Bates left in July 2007 to re-join ELO Part 2, by then renamed to The Orchestra.
Bev currently presents a radio show upon Smooth FM West Midlandson Sunday afternoons called Bev Bevans Jukebox classics, and reviewing records for the Midland's Sunday Mercury.
Bev lives in rural Warwickshire with his wife of 37 years, Valerie, and his son Adrian (26).