Trevor Bolder

Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, although he also played alongside a variety of musicians from the early 1970s.

Biography Bolder was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. His father was a trumpet player, and other members of his family were also musicians. He played cornet in the school band and was active in his local R&B scene in the mid-1960s. Inspired by the Beatles, in 1964 he formed his first band with his brother and took up the bass guitar. in the song "Ziggy Stardust", in the lyrics "Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly, and the Spiders from Mars". Bolder "never looked comfortable as a glam-rock mannequin, tottering behind Ziggy Stardust in platform boots and a rainbow-hued outfit of latex and glitter".

Bolder's bass (and occasional trumpet) work appeared on the studio albums Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), and Pin Ups (1973), the Spiders' swan song with their leader.

As well as his usual bass-playing and backing-vocal duties, Bolder produced Heep's 1991 album Different World.

In 2012 and early 2013, Bolder worked with Stevie ZeSuicide (Steve Roberts of the band U.K. Subs) as producer on singles "Wild Trash" (co-writer with ZeSuicide), "Lady Rocker" and a cover of "Ziggy Stardust". Bolder also played on these tracks.

Bolder died in May 2013 at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham from cancer, aged 62. He had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer earlier that year.

In August 2025 his guitar flight case was featured as a restoration project on BBC One's The Repair Shop programme.

Discography

Solo Sail the Rivers 2012-2013 (2020)

With David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971) The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) Aladdin Sane (1973) Pin Ups (1973) Ziggy Stardust – The Motion Picture (recorded live 1973, released 1983) Santa Monica '72 (recorded live 1972, released 1994)

With Dana Gillespie Weren't Born a Man (1974)

With Mick Ronson Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974) Play Don't Worry (1975) Memorial Concert (1997) Main Man (1998)

With The Spiders from Mars Spiders From Mars (1976)

With Ken Hensley Free Spirit (1980) From Time to Time (1994)

With Wishbone Ash Twin Barrels Burning (1982)

With Uriah Heep Firefly (1977) Innocent Victim (1977) Fallen Angel (1978) Conquest (1980) Equator (1985) Live in Europe 1979 (1986) Live in Moscow (live, 1988) Raging Silence (1989) Different World (1991) Sea of Light (1995) Spellbinder (live, 1996) Sonic Origami (1998) Future Echoes of the Past (live, 2000) Acoustically Driven (live, 2001) Electrically Driven (live, 2001) The Magician's Birthday Party (live, 2002) Live in the USA (2003) Magic Night (live, 2004) Wake the Sleeper (2008) Celebration – Forty Years of Rock (2009) Into the Wild (2011) Totally Driven (recorded 2000–2001, released 2015)

With Cybernauts Live (recorded live 1997, released 2000, reissued 2001 with an extra CD)