Ken Hensley

Best-known through his long association with the British rock stalwarts Uriah Heep, the multi-instrumentalist Ken Hensley earned widespread respect as a leading figure among heavy metal and progressive rock keyboardists. While with the band he wrote or co-wrote several signature tracks, including “Easy Livin’,” “Stealin’,” and “Lady in Black,” on which he also handled lead vocals, helping the group reach arena status throughout the 1970s. Following his departure in the 1980s he spent time with the Florida hard rock band Blackfoot, contributing to the albums Siogo (1983) and Vertical Smiles (1984), after which he concentrated on solo work. Recording and touring continued well into the new millennium; in 2007 he released the memoir Blood on the Highway. His last record, My Book of Answers, appeared in 2021.

Born in Plumstead, London, England, on August 24, 1945, Hensley formed the psychedelic blues group the Gods in the mid-1960s alongside Greg Lake, later of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Mick Taylor, who would join the Rolling Stones. By the time their debut album Genesis surfaced in 1968, only Hensley remained from the original lineup. The following year the band issued To Samuel a Son, added Cliff Bennett, and changed its name to Toe Fat. Two albums produced by John Peel appeared before the group dissolved, leading Hensley in 1970 to join Spice, soon rechristened Uriah Heep after the Dickens character.

Uriah Heep cultivated a devoted hard rock following, and in 1973 Hensley issued his first solo album, Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf, assisted by bandmates Lee Kerslake and Gary Thain. Two years later came Eager to Please. After finishing the 1980 Uriah Heep release Conquest, he exited to pursue solo endeavors full-time, delivering Free Spirit in 1981. The next year he became a member of Blackfoot, staying until the band broke up in 1984.

Thereafter Hensley entered semi-retirement, gathering earlier unreleased recordings for the 1994 set From Time to Time. From that point he maintained a consistent schedule of studio, live, and compilation releases that sustained his audience in both Britain and overseas markets. He died in Spain on November 4, 2020, at age 75 after a brief illness. The following year saw the posthumous appearance of My Book of Answers, a collaboration with Russian admirer and poet Vladimir Emelin.