Russ Ballard

Born in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, Russ Ballard enters the history of British rock as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. After stints with The Roulettes and then Unit 4 + 2 in the 1960s, Russ Ballard gained visibility within Argent, of which he was one of the central members in the early 1970s, notably taking part in the writing of 'God Gave Rock and Roll to You'. From 1974, Russ Ballard developed a solo career alongside a prolific writing career for other artists, spanning melodic rock to pop rock and accessible hard rock. His discography under his own name includes notably Russ Ballard (1974), Winning (1976), At the Third Stroke (1978), Barnet Dogs (1980), Into the Fire (1981), Russ Ballard (1984), The Fire Still Burns (1985), The Seer (1993), Book of Love (2006) and It's Good to Be Here (2015). His writing circulates widely between the rock and pop scenes of the 1970s and 1980s, with songs covered by Argent, Rainbow, Santana, America, Frida, Hot Chocolate or Roger Daltrey, among which 'Since You Been Gone', 'I Surrender', 'Winning', 'You Can Do Magic', 'New York Groove' and 'I Know There’s Something Going On'. For Russ Ballard, direct choruses, crisp guitars and the sense of melodic construction give a music rooted in British classic rock open to radio formats without leaving a solid rock base.