Kim Gardner

Kim Gardner (27 January 1948 in Dulwich, London – 24 October 2001 in Los Angeles) was an English musician.

He was part of the British Invasion of the US during the 1960s, and recorded more than thirty albums during his music career.

Early life Kim Gardner and his neighbour Ronnie Wood shared a passion for both art and music. They began drawing and playing music together as teenagers in Yiewsley, England. From their late teens and onward, the focus was primarily on music.

Career While attending art college together in 1964 Gardner and Wood met Tony Munroe, Ali McKenzie and Pete McDaniels and formed The Thunderbirds. They were signed to Decca Records at the end of that year, and in 1965 released several singles, including "No Good Without You Baby" and "Leaving Here", after a name change from The Thunderbirds to The Birds.

In late 1965 the Birds left Decca to sign with Reaction Records, but Gardner and Wood quit the band and joined The Creation, a mod band popular in Europe, especially Germany. In 1967, Gardner recorded some tracks with Jon Lord, Ronnie Wood and Twink under the name Santa Barbara Machine Head, released on Blues Anytime Vol. 3. In 1968 at the dissolution of the Creation, Kim Gardner joined with Tony Ashton and Roy Dyke to form Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, In 1985 the pub was relocated to 6530 Sunset Boulevard.

Gardner's passion for art was also revived during the 1980s and he became an accomplished painter, displaying lithographs of his artwork at the Cat and Fiddle.

In the mid 1980s Gardner was a member of Ian Wallace's Tea Bags group with Jackie Lomax, David Mansfield, Peter Banks and Graham Bell.

Gardner's last recording was a collaboration with Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Don Adey. There are several prominent guests featured on these recordings including Carmine Appice, Bruce Gary, Mick Taylor, Jackie Lomax, Brian Auger and Ivan Neville.

Death Gardner died of cancer on 24 October 2001. He was 53 years old.

Partial filmography The Deadly Bees (1966) - Member of The Birds (uncredited)