Biography
Since the late 1970s John “Rabbit” Bundrick has served as the touring keyboardist for the Who while simultaneously issuing a steady stream of solo albums and contributing to recordings by numerous other performers. He entered the world on November 21, 1948, in Houston, Texas, where his mother played piano, his father handled bass duties, and his brothers performed on assorted instruments; this environment prompted Bundrick himself to begin piano lessons at age seven. Four years afterward he sat in with his father’s local country group, and by fifteen he had become a sought-after session player at Houston studios. A brief college stint ended without success—he passed only his music courses—after which Bundrick moved to Los Angeles and acquired the nickname “Rabbit” on account of his prominent front teeth. He soon returned to Houston and resumed session work, during which period he met pop-reggae vocalist Johnny Nash.
Bundrick spent time living in Sweden before rejoining Nash in London, where he contributed songs and keyboard parts to the singer’s 1972 album I Can See Clearly Now, whose title track became a major international hit. Through Nash he was introduced to Bob Marley and supplied synthesizer and keyboard work on Marley’s 1973 release Catch a Fire. Around the same time he joined the short-lived offshoot project Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit, which produced a single self-titled album before disbanding. Those associations led to further session opportunities with Sandy Denny, Andy Fairweather-Low, Jim Capaldi, Eric Burdon, Donovan, John Martyn, Silverhead, and Free, the latter briefly reuniting after the Kossoff project dissolved.
Bundrick also launched his solo career in the early 1970s with Broken Arrows in 1973 and Dark Saloon the following year, yet session work remained his primary focus. He developed a close association with Who guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend while performing on Townshend’s 1977 collaboration with Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix. Bundrick next joined British hard-rock band Crawler, appearing on their 1977 album Crawler and its 1978 follow-up Snake Rattle & Roll, though the affiliation proved short-lived. Soon afterward he accepted an invitation to augment the Who’s touring lineup for their 1979 world tour; his initial rehearsals appear on the concert video Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live. He has remained the group’s touring keyboardist ever since and has also contributed to solo projects by Townshend—Empty Glass (1980), White City: A Novel (1985), and Iron Man: A Musical (1989)—and by Roger Daltrey—McVicar (1980) and Celebration: The Music of the Who (1994).
In addition to his ongoing work with the Who, Bundrick has continued releasing solo recordings, among them Abendstimmung: Evening Bliss, Dreamcatcher: Global Journey, Dream Jungle, Echoes of Africa, The Fairy Garden, Moccasin Warrior, Moccasin Warrior II, Run for Cover, Same Old Story, Spirit of the Wolf, Tour Guide, Welcome to America, and With the Dolphins. He has maintained an active session schedule as well, appearing on later recordings by Mick Jagger, Roger Waters, Mick Taylor, Richard & Linda Thompson, and Trevor Rabin, among others.
Bundrick spent time living in Sweden before rejoining Nash in London, where he contributed songs and keyboard parts to the singer’s 1972 album I Can See Clearly Now, whose title track became a major international hit. Through Nash he was introduced to Bob Marley and supplied synthesizer and keyboard work on Marley’s 1973 release Catch a Fire. Around the same time he joined the short-lived offshoot project Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit, which produced a single self-titled album before disbanding. Those associations led to further session opportunities with Sandy Denny, Andy Fairweather-Low, Jim Capaldi, Eric Burdon, Donovan, John Martyn, Silverhead, and Free, the latter briefly reuniting after the Kossoff project dissolved.
Bundrick also launched his solo career in the early 1970s with Broken Arrows in 1973 and Dark Saloon the following year, yet session work remained his primary focus. He developed a close association with Who guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend while performing on Townshend’s 1977 collaboration with Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix. Bundrick next joined British hard-rock band Crawler, appearing on their 1977 album Crawler and its 1978 follow-up Snake Rattle & Roll, though the affiliation proved short-lived. Soon afterward he accepted an invitation to augment the Who’s touring lineup for their 1979 world tour; his initial rehearsals appear on the concert video Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live. He has remained the group’s touring keyboardist ever since and has also contributed to solo projects by Townshend—Empty Glass (1980), White City: A Novel (1985), and Iron Man: A Musical (1989)—and by Roger Daltrey—McVicar (1980) and Celebration: The Music of the Who (1994).
In addition to his ongoing work with the Who, Bundrick has continued releasing solo recordings, among them Abendstimmung: Evening Bliss, Dreamcatcher: Global Journey, Dream Jungle, Echoes of Africa, The Fairy Garden, Moccasin Warrior, Moccasin Warrior II, Run for Cover, Same Old Story, Spirit of the Wolf, Tour Guide, Welcome to America, and With the Dolphins. He has maintained an active session schedule as well, appearing on later recordings by Mick Jagger, Roger Waters, Mick Taylor, Richard & Linda Thompson, and Trevor Rabin, among others.
Albums
Singles
