Musician. Born Richard Roman Grechko in Bordeaux, to Ukrainian parents with whom, at the age of five, he emigrated to Leicester. He attended Corpus Christi Roman Catholic School in that city, where he played violin in the school orchestra. In 1965, with Charlie Whitney (guitar) and Jim King (saxophones), he formed a band called The Farinas, who changed their name to Family when they were joined by Roger Chapman (vocals) and Rob Townsend (drums). They recorded two albums, "Music in a Doll's House" and "Family Entertainment", on which he played bass guitar, violin and cello; and, although Chapman and Whitney were the principal songwriters, Grech wrote and sang a few songs. In 1969, Family were on their first tour of North America, when Grech announced that he was leaving to form Blind Faith, with Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker. Blind Faith remain the only band to have reached Number One in both the British and American charts with their first album, and to have released nothing else, because, before the year was out, Clapton had quit. Grech and the other two (and many others) formed Air Force which, again, did not last for long; then he and Winwood reconvened in the latter's previous band, Traffic. Before long, however, Grech was asked to leave because of his drug dependency. In 1973, he played at Eric Clapton's comeback at the Rainbow Theatre in North London, then joined The Crickets, who had been the late Buddy Holly's backing band, and co-produced Gram Parsons' first solo album, G.P. His final band appears to have been K.G.B., with Mike Bloomfield and Carmine Appice, which met with very little success. In 1977, he left the music business and returned to Leicester, where he sold carpets and lived off his old royalty cheques. He died at the Leicester General Hospital, of liver and kidney failure, which were brought on by a brain haemorrhage.
Musician. Born Richard Roman Grechko in Bordeaux, to Ukrainian parents with whom, at the age of five, he emigrated to Leicester. He attended Corpus Christi Roman Catholic School in that city, where he played violin in the school orchestra. In 1965, with Charlie Whitney (guitar) and Jim King (saxophones), he formed a band called The Farinas, who changed their name to Family when they were joined by Roger Chapman (vocals) and Rob Townsend (drums). They recorded two albums, "Music in a Doll's House" and "Family Entertainment", on which he played bass guitar, violin and cello; and, although Chapman and Whitney were the principal songwriters, Grech wrote and sang a few songs. In 1969, Family were on their first tour of North America, when Grech announced that he was leaving to form Blind Faith, with Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker. Blind Faith remain the only band to have reached Number One in both the British and American charts with their first album, and to have released nothing else, because, before the year was out, Clapton had quit. Grech and the other two (and many others) formed Air Force which, again, did not last for long; then he and Winwood reconvened in the latter's previous band, Traffic. Before long, however, Grech was asked to leave because of his drug dependency. In 1973, he played at Eric Clapton's comeback at the Rainbow Theatre in North London, then joined The Crickets, who had been the late Buddy Holly's backing band, and co-produced Gram Parsons' first solo album, G.P. His final band appears to have been K.G.B., with Mike Bloomfield and Carmine Appice, which met with very little success. In 1977, he left the music business and returned to Leicester, where he sold carpets and lived off his old royalty cheques. He died at the Leicester General Hospital, of liver and kidney failure, which were brought on by a brain haemorrhage.
Bio by: Iain MacFarlaine
Inscription
Also her son
Richard Roman Grech
died 16th. March 1990
aged 44 years.
He who lives by excesses enters
the palace of wisdom.
The epitaph is taken from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, by William Blake, wherein it is given as: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
Note that, if he really were born in 1946 (the year usually given), he would have been 43, not 44.
Family Members
Parents
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