The Early Days
Music has been part of Lou's life for as long as he can remember. There was always a radio playing in his house, and alongside the BBC came the sounds of Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino and Lou's dad's favourite, Fats Waller's When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful. Lou's grandfather, Pete, led a dance band throughout the 1940s and '50s, and by the age of four Lou was already picking out tunes on his upright piano.
At 11, Lou saved enough money to buy his first guitar and ventured into Manchester to collect the iconic Höfner Senator which he still plays on stage today. Around the same time, Lou's dad bought a transistor radio and every evening Lou would tune into Radio Luxembourg on 208, where American records unlike anything being played on British radio poured out of the speakers. It opened up a whole new musical world. That's where he first heard Marvin Gaye's Can I Get a Witness, and later the Pye International Show introduced him to the incredible Chess Records catalogue. From that moment on, Lou was hooked on rhythm and blues.
The Lancashire years (mid-1960s)
Lou Stonebridge comes from a historic market town in Greater Manchester called Bury. While still at school, he became the singer and harp player with his first band, Ian Curtis & The Dominators. The other lads were older and loved The Shadows and Cliff Richard, but it didn't take much persuasion to add Chuck Berry to the set. Before long they'd evolved into a full-blooded R&B band and were renamed Curt’s Creatures. They were a fixture of the East Lancashire and Manchester club circuit — including support slots at the Astoria Ballroom, Rawtenstall, Nelson Imperial and regular club gigs at The Twisted Wheel, The Oasis and Jungfrau.
Lou's dad became their manager, earning the nickname "Eppy" after Brian Epstein. He drove them to gigs in a second-hand Ford Thames van, loading the equipment himself and doing everything possible to help them succeed. As their reputation around Manchester grew, they signed with the Alan Arnison Agency in Stockport. Lou's dad happily stepped aside as manager but remained their loyal roadie.
The agency's leading act was The Raging Storms, seasoned professionals who had toured American Army bases in Germany, bringing back first-hand knowledge of soul and Motown music. They invited Lou to become their lead singer, but there was one problem—he wasn't a full-time musician. Lou was working in Manchester while studying for his insurance qualifications.
The solution epitomises Lou Stonebridge’s approach to life and music. He used every second of annual leave he had; departing the office at lunchtime, driving hundreds of miles to clubs like the Club A’ Gogo Newcastle, play an evening show, then a late-night set, drive home, and be back in full suit at his desk by 7:30 the next morning. Lou kept that schedule until he turned 18, passed his insurance exams and, with his parents' blessing, finally became a professional musician.
To celebrate, Lou's mum and dad took him to see one of his heroes, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. They played the kind of Hammond-driven R&B Lou loved. That night he filled in his musicians' union membership form and, when asked for his occupation, proudly wrote one word: Musician.
With Lou's full attention, the Burnely based Ragin Storms became a well-known name on the Northern beat scene before members helped form the psychedelic/progressive rock band Glass Menagerie.
Glass Menagerie (1967–1970)
In August 1967, Stonebridge joined guitarist Alan Kendall (later of the Bee Gees) and bassist John “Megs” Medley, along with fellow ex-Storms members Keith O’Connell (organ) and Bill Atkinson (drums), to form Glass Menagerie. Initially a covers band drawing on Blood, Sweat and Tears, The Doors, Traffic and Jefferson Airplane, they quickly built a following.
In 1968 they signed with the John Gunnell agency, secured a deal with Pye Records and moved to London. When O’Connell left for Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, Stonebridge took over organ alongside lead vocals.
Three Pye singles followed in 1968, produced by John Schroeder: She’s A Rainbow, You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice and Frederick Jordan. In 1969, after Gunnell’s agency merged with the Robert Stigwood Organisation, the band moved to Polydor and producer Chas Chandler, recording two further singles and an album. Despite John Peel Top Gear sessions, Marquee residencies and a national following, none of the five singles charted. The band folded around 1970.
Paladin (1969–1972)
Stonebridge next joined Paladin, a jam-oriented progressive rock band signed to Bronze Records — the label founded by Uriah Heep manager Gerry Bron.
The band’s dual-keyboard setup gave them a distinctively rich, energetic sound which featured heavy Hammond organ solos, Latin percussion, and complex arrangements reminiscent of Santana and Traffic.
Paladin released two albums: Paladin (1971) and Charge! (1972).
McGuinness Flint (1972–1975)
Stonebridge joined McGuinness Flint — the band formed by Tom McGuinness of Manfred Mann and Hughie Flint of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers — replacing Dennis Coulson, alongside incoming guitarist Jim Evans. He contributed guitar, keyboards, harmonica and vocals.
The band’s chart peak (When I’m Dead and Gone, Malt and Barley Blues) had come before his arrival. The Stonebridge-era line-up recorded two albums, Rainbow (1973) and C’est La Vie (1974). Neither sold well, and the group broke up in 1975.
Stonebridge McGuinness (1977–1980)
Stonebridge and Tom McGuinness continued as a duo. Their first single, Street Talkin’, appeared in 1977 on the Chrysalis sub-label Air under the name Stonebridge and McGuinness, without success.
Signing to RCA the following year, they released three singles as Stonebridge McGuinness. Ooh Eeh Baby reached No. 54 in the UK singles chart and earned them a Top of the Pops appearance on 12 July 1979.
The album Corporate Madness, featuring the horn section from Graham Parker and the Rumour and Medicine Head’s Peter Hope-Evans, followed in early 1980 but missed the charts.
Producing and The Blues Band (1980s)
In 1980, Stonebridge produced the first two albums by The Blues Band — The Official Bootleg Album and Ready — the records that launched one of Britain’s most enduring blues outfits, featuring Paul Jones, Dave Kelly, Tom McGuinness, Hughie Flint and Gary Fletcher. He later wrote for them — including I Am The Blues, co-written with Dave Kelly for the 2002 Blues Band album Stepping Out.
He was also a founder member of The Dave Kelly Band, appearing in its very first incarnation and playing keyboards, accordion, harmonica, acoustic guitar and percussion on albums including Mind In A Glass (1984), which he also co-mixed. He worked with The Dance Band in the same period, and continued as a writer, producer and session musician.
Working in partnership with Tom McGuinness, Stonebridge wrote and produced material for the French star Sylvie Vartan, most notably “Le temps du swing”. The song appeared on Vartan’s 1976 album (commonly known as Ta sorcière bien-aimée) and was released as a single in February 1977. It became a fixture of her live set — she performed it at the Palais des Congrès in 1977, and it survives in French television archive footage from that September. Given Vartan’s stature in France, this is arguably Stonebridge’s most widely heard piece of writing.
Tom and Lou also had a 1976 radio hit with their spoof Christmas song “ Xmas Tears Will Fall” under the name Rudy and The Rialtos featuring American DJ Wolfman Jack.
The Dance Band (19XX–19XX)
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The Hurters (19XX–19XX)
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Boogie Woogie Flu (19XX–19XX)
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Present Day: France
Lou is now resident in South West France, and performs regularly on the local circuit as well as continuing with the Dave Kelly Band in the UK and Europe.
His French sets cover rhythm and blues, country, roots rock and boogie-woogie. He plays with regular collaborators Laurent Gadeau and Patrick Smith, has appeared with the group Mr Tchang in the Pays Lindois, and performs in cafés and village venues around the region — including a concert at Mauzac-et-Grand-Castang and appearances at Saint-Avit-Sénieur. French promoters describe him as warm and full of energy, with an evident pleasure in playing..