Ken Whaley

Ken Whaley (5 November 1946 – 8 May 2013) was an Austrian-born bass guitar player, best known as a founding member of Help Yourself and Ducks Deluxe, and as a member of Deke Leonard's Iceberg, Man, and The Tyla Gang. He also played with The Archers and The Green Ray.

Early career Whaley was born in Vienna to a British serviceman and a local girl, who raised him in Epping, Essex. His father became a newspaper photographer, which led to him becoming a local newspaper reporter, rising to be a sub-editor of the Islington Gazette in the early 1970s. In January 1970, he was living in Golborne Road, Portobello, where he knew Paul Burton, a roadie, who knew that Malcolm Morley was looking for a bass player for his new band, Help Yourself, to which he suggested Whaley for the role.

He played on Help Yourself's eponymous first album, and on the Downhome Rhythm Kings package with Ernie Graham and Brinsley Schwarz, which led to him appearing on Ernie Graham's eponymous album, before he was sacked from Help Yourself in April 1971 "a sad tale that is probably best glossed over" . Cousins was soon replaced by drummer Tim Roper, and former Flamin' Groovies roadie, Nick Garvey, also joined. Playing more energetic music than most others on the London pub-rock circuit, the Ducks soon had a twice weekly booking at the Tally Ho in Kentish Town, and a manager, Dai Davies. when they also recorded their second Peel Session. After a two-month "Happy Days" tour, the fourth album, The Return of Ken Whaley, was released, with the Happy Days album included free with the first 5,000 copies.

The Happy Days tour included Roger Ruskin Spear which led to Whaley performing on Ruskin Spear's 1973 album Unusual

Help Yourself started recording their fifth album in July 1973, with a line-up augmented by Sean Tyla. The album was to be called 5 and a cover was commissioned from Rick Griffin. They only had "half formed ideas" and although they eventually laid down 8 tracks, they gave up recording and disbanded in August 1973. They reformed for "The Amazing ZigZag Concert" on 28 April 1974 with a core line up of Morley, Treece, Whaley and Charles with Burton and Leonard guesting.

Being incomplete, 5 was not issued, the album was finally completed in 2002/2003 by Morley, Treece and Whaley, with Kevin Spacey on drums, as Charles had other commitments. The album was eventually released in 2004.

Whaley continued to play with The Green Ray until 2012, when lung cancer forced him to stand down. Whaley died in London, on 8 May 2013, aged 66.