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Roger O'Donnell
Biography
Keyboard player Roger O'Donnell is best known for his long tenure with the Cure, but he's also played with other noted acts and has moved on to a solo career. Born in East London in 1955, O'Donnell was the youngest of four children in a family fascinated with music and art. O'Donnell claims he was born next to the piano in his parents' living room, and he first learned to play when his eldest brother taught him some 12-bar blues numbers. As a teenager, O'Donnell was fascinated with jazz fusion, funk, and progressive rock, and took a part-time job to purchase his first electric piano. O'Donnell landed his first professional gig not long after he enrolled in art school when he was hired to back up wildly eccentric rocker Arthur Brown for a pub gig. Soon music was keeping O'Donnell busy enough that he quit school and formed a combo with some friends. In 1983, a friend and former bandmate Boris Williams recommended O'Donnell for a spot in the Thompson Twins' touring group, and after two years on the road with them he took a similar position with the Psychedelic Furs. In 1987, Boris Williams was playing with the Cure, and when Lol Tolhurst left the band, Williams suggested O'Donnell be auditioned as their new keyboard player.
Selected Discography