Melvyn Gale
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Melvyn Gale
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| image = Melvyn Gale-ELO.jpg
| caption = Gale in 1977
| birth_name = Melvyn Gale
| birth_date = {{birthdateandage|1952|1|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = London, England
| genre = Rock
| occupation = Musician
| years_active =
| instrument = Cello, keyboards
| label = Jet Records
| associated_acts = Electric Light Orchestra
Wilson Gale and Co
| website =
}}
Melvyn Gale (born 15 January 1952){{cite book |last1=Bevan |first1=Bev |title=The Electric Light Orchestra Story |date=1980 |publisher=Mushroom Publishing Ltd. |isbn=0-907394-00-0}} is an English cellist.
Career
Born in London,[http://www.face-the-music.de/melvyn_e.html Face-the-music.de] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060140/http://www.face-the-music.de/melvyn_e.html |date=28 September 2007 }} Gale attended the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He played his first professional concert with the London Palladium Orchestra in 1970.{{cite web|title=THE MELVYN GALE INTERVIEW|url=http://cherryblossomclinic.x10.mx/mel.html|publisher=Cherry Blossom Clinic|accessdate=13 October 2022|author=Martin Kinch|date=December 2009|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019173849/http://cherryblossomclinic.x10.mx/mel.html|archivedate=19 October 2021}} He also played with the Bolshoi and Rambert Ballet companies, the London Youth Symphony Orchestra, and various West End shows.
He was a cellist for the Electric Light Orchestra from 1975, replacing Mike Edwards. He is also a pianist, performing piano on "Wild West Hero" as well as occasionally live on "Roll Over Beethoven".{{cite web|title=Melvyn Gale Cello |url=http://www.face-the-music.de/melvyn_e.html |publisher=Face the Music |accessdate=11 April 2012 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060140/http://www.face-the-music.de/melvyn_e.html |archivedate=28 September 2007 }}
In 1979, he appeared in the Discovery music video playing alongside the rest of the classic line-up (Mik Kaminski on violin and close friend Hugh McDowell on cello) for the last time. He remained with the group until he and McDowell were dismissed via letter 1980.{{Cite news |date=2018-11-08 |title=ELO and Wizzard cellist Hugh McDowell dies at 65 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-46139419 |access-date=2024-06-24 |language=en-GB}}
Gale and his friend Frank Wilson built a recording studio in 1979. On 12 April 1980, their first album was released under the name Wilson Gale & Co. and was titled Gift Wrapped Set. The album was recorded at Ramport Studios and was released on Jet Records.
Gale ran a company which manufactured CDs and vinyl records for 18 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music/birmingham-group-elo-back-not-2978702|title = ELO are back but not as you know them|date = 21 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902214815/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music/birmingham-group-elo-back-not-2978702|archive-date=2 September 2021|url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928060140/http://www.face-the-music.de/melvyn_e.html Biography of Gale]
- [http://www.allmusic.com/ Biography of ELO]
{{Electric Light Orchestra}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Melvyn}}
Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
Category:British rock cellists
Category:Electric Light Orchestra members
Category:Male actors from London
Category:English classical cellists
Category:English classical pianists
Category:British male classical pianists
Category:Musicians from London
Category:English classical musicians
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