Blue Weaver

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Blue Weaver
Background information
Birth name	Derek John Weaver
Also known as	Blue Weaver
Born	(1947-03-11) 11 March 1947 (age 65)
Origin	Cardiff, Wales
Genres	Progressive rock, disco music, folk, rock, soul
Occupations	Musician, composer
Instruments	Keyboards
Years active	1960s - present
Labels	A&M, RSO Records, Immediate, Deram
Associated acts	Amen Corner, Fair Weather, Strawbs, Streetwalkers, Bee Gees, Pet Shop Boys, Lou Reed, Surprise Sisters, John Cougar Mellencamp, Andy Gibb, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Jimmy Ruffin, Chicago
Website	Blueweaver.com
Notable instruments
Piano, Hammond Organ, ARP2600, Moog, Fairlight, Yamaha GX1 - DX1 -CS80

Derek John "Blue" Weaver (born 11 March 1947, Cardiff, Wales) is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.

[edit] Biography

A founder member of Amen Corner and its successor Fair Weather, Weaver replaced Rick Wakeman in Strawbs when Wakeman left to join Yes. He was with the Strawbs during their most successful and critically acclaimed period where he played some notable mellotron and other keyboard sequences on their albums Grave New World and Bursting at the Seams. He left Strawbs in 1973, and toured with Mott the Hoople in the US tour. Queen were their support act. He also appeared with the Streetwalkers and session work followed, including work with the Pet Shop Boys. He also played behind the Bee Gees at the initiation of his former Amen Corner colleague drummer Dennis Byron, who had joined their backing band a year earlier during their successful 1975-79 period, taking in such highlights as "Jive Talkin'", "You Should Be Dancing" and the band's famous contributions Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.^[1] The three piece backing band of Weaver, Bryon and the perennial Bee Gees sidesman, Alan Kendall, played on the Bee Gees' albums, Main Course, Children of the World, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live and Spirits Having Flown. Unusually, Weaver featured as a co-composer on a small handful of Bee Gees numbers including "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away", made a hit by the group's younger brother Andy Gibb. Weaver also co-composed the songs for Jimmy Ruffin's 1980 album Sunrise with Robin Gibb as lyricist, including the hit single, "Hold On (To My Love)".

Weaver composed the soundtrack for the film, Times Square, again collaborating with Robin Gibb on Gibb's duet with Marcy Levy, "Help Me". As of 2009, Weaver was a director and supporter of The Music Producers Guild.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• Official Blog & BluTube
• The Music Producers Guild
• Blue Weaver at the Internet Movie Database