Jeff Lynne is a hugely influential songwriter, performer and producer who has
been at the heart of English rock and pop music for over half a century. He was
born in Birmingham in 1947 and at the age of 19 joined The Idle Race, a
moderately successful but highly respected psychedelic rock band.
The Idle Race gave Lynne his first opportunity to become a producer and he was
responsible for the production on the band's self-titled second album. An invite
from his friend and fellow musician Roy Wood to join his up and coming band The
Move tempted Lynne to leave The Idle Race and p...