Partner Oz Rexach
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18 Frinton Rd, London E6 3HA, Regno Unito
John
William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an
English-Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British
musicians, with Rod Stewart and
Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop
success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No. 1 in 1967
and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald You've Lost That Lovin'
Feelin' reached number two in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late
1970s until his death; there he continued to make records and do voiceover
work. Two of his best known roles in voice acting were as Dr. Robotnik in
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and as KOMPLEX in Bucky O'Hare and
the Toad Wars.
Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s, at least amongst his friends
and industry peers. However, he did not make a formal public acknowledgement
of this until the 1970s—possibly because until 1967 in Britain, male
homosexuality was still a criminal offence that could lead to forced
medication and/or jail time.
In 1968, Elton John
tried to commit suicide after relationship problems with a woman, Linda
Woodrow. Bernie Taupin, the lyricist, and Baldry[11]
found him and Baldry talked him out of marrying her, helping make Elton John
comfortable with his sexuality. The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about the experience.[12][13]
Baldry had a brief relationship with lead-guitarist of The Kinks,
Dave Davies.[12][14][12][15]
In 1978 his then-upcoming album Baldry's Out announced his formal
coming out, and he addressed sexuality problems with a cover of Canadian
songwriter Bill Amesbury's "A Thrill's a Thrill".[16]
Baldry died 21 July 2005, in Vancouver General Hospital, of a severe chest
infection. He was survived by his partner, Felix
"Oz" Rexach,[17]
a brother, Roger, and a sister, Margaret.[16]
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_John_Baldry