Graham Oliver
Background information
Born (1952-07-06) 6 July 1952
Mexborough, South Yorkshire, England
GenresHeavy metal, hard rock
OccupationsGuitarist
Years active1976–present
LabelsAngel Air
Member of
Formerly of

Graham Oliver (born 6 July 1952) is an English guitarist who was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.[1] He was a founding member in the heavy metal band Saxon from 1976 to 1995.[2]

Career

Oliver was a budding guitarist while working in a factory in the mid-1970s, but gave up after losing the tip of his index finger in an accident with a door, and sold his prized 1962/63 Fender Stratocaster (he would attempt to track down the guitar 40 years later).[3] He was, however, encouraged by future bandmate Paul Quinn to learn to play again.[3]

Oliver was originally a member of the band SOB, which formed in 1970. SOB played its first shows in 1970 under the name Blue Condition and toured extensively from 1970 to 1975, also in Germany and the Netherlands.[4] The other members were future Saxon bassist Steve Dawson, Steve Firth on vocals and drummers David Bradley, John Hart, Cowley and John Walker.[5][6]

The band merged in November 1975 with another local band (Coast) to become first Son of a Bitch and from 1978 Saxon, with whom Oliver played from the start and until 1995, as guitarist during a period in which the band had five top 20 albums in the UK.[7][8][9][10]

After being fired from Saxon in 1995, he initially reformed his old band Son of a Bitch with former Saxon bassist Steve Dawson and drummer Pete Gill.[10][11][12] Son of a Bitch released the album Victim You with Thunderhead singer Ted Bullet.[12][10][13] Bullet and Gill left the band after the release of the album. They were replaced by the vocalist John Ward, and another former member of Saxon, Nigel Durham on drums.

In 1999, Oliver and Dawson trademarked the name 'Saxon', claiming they had exclusive rights to it, and attempted to stop Saxon singer Biff Byford from using the name.[14] The trademark claim was overturned after it was ruled to be in bad faith, setting a legal precedent for ownership of a band name.[14] Oliver and Dawson changed the name of the band to Oliver/Dawson Saxon, and undertook a British tour with Ronnie James Dio. Graham also duetted with Doug Aldrich on "Rainbow in the Dark" on the last gig at Plymouth.

Oliver has also released the solo album End of an Era in 2001.[15] Five of the tracks were written and performed by the rock indie band Bullrush, with whom Graham Oliver's son Paul played drums, along Steve Tudberry and Scott Howitt. Also appearing on the album were Pete Gill, Steve Dawson, Kev Moore, Paul Johnson, Phil Hendriks, Richard Spencer and Chris Archer.[15]

Since 2002, Oliver has played with former Marc Bolan session musician Paul Fenton, touring under the banner "Mickey Finn's T-Rex" and formerly "T. Rex (A Celebration of Marc and Mickey)".[7][6] This opportunity materialised after Oliver played "Get It On" with Rolan Bolan at a show in Bradford.[16]

Oliver suffered a stroke in January 2010, leaving him without feeling in one arm for several weeks.[17]

In 2011, Oliver joined pupils at Mexborough School in their production of the Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You.[18]

In 2012 guitar manufacturer "Vintage" collaborated with Graham to produce two signature guitars based on his famous Gibson SG and Flying-V guitars. The 'SG' model Vintage VS6GO and the 'V' model Vintage V60GO.[19]

Oliver and Steve Dawson wrote the book Saxon Drugs and Rock and Roll - The Real Spinal Tap, published by Tomahawk Press in 2012, with a foreword by Harry Shearer (who drew inspiration for Spinal Tap from his time on tour with the band in 1982).[3][8][20][21]

As of 2017, Oliver was still playing in Oliver/Dawson Saxon.[22][23] Following Steve Dawson's decision to retire from performing in October 2021, Graham Oliver, Gav Coulson and Bri Shaughnessy recruited new bandmembers and chose to continue working together under the new name of 'Graham Oliver's Army'.

Oliver is also an authority on Yorkshire ceramics.[24][25]

Discography

Saxon

Studio albums

Live albums

Son of a Bitch

  • (1996) Victim You

Oliver/Dawson Saxon

Solo

  • (2001) End of an Era

Collaborations and guest appearances

Oliver has made a handful of guest appearances with Barnsley comedy band The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican

References

  1. ↑ "Graham Oliver Twitter Profile", Twitter.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  2. ↑ Barton, Geoff (16 January 2013). "Saxon: 'Metal fans are the most loyal in the world' – a classic feature from the vaults". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Johnson, Peter (2015) "Rock star seeks reunion with man who bought his Stratocaster", Shetland Times, 2 July 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  4. ↑ "SOB – Saxon Deep DISCOGRAPHY".
  5. ↑ Geesin, Joe (2015) "And the Band Played On", Record Collector, Issue 437, February 2015
  6. 1 2 "Drumming 'hero' to celebrate bandmate Bolan's life with gig", Dewsbury Reporter, 24 February 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  7. 1 2 "Metal guru Graham still loves to get it on", North-West Evening Mail. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  8. 1 2 "Rock 'n' Roll excess: Exploring the unusual link between Mexborough band Saxon and Spinal Tap", South Yorkshire Times, 19 January 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  9. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2001) The Great Metal Discography 2nd edn., Mojo Books, ISBN 1-84195-185-4, pp. 476-7
  10. 1 2 3 Rivadavia, Eduardo "Son of a Bitch Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  11. ↑ Buckley, Jonathan (2003) "Saxon", in The Rough Guide to Rock, Rough Guides, ISBN 978-1843531050, pp. 906-907
  12. 1 2 "OLIVER/DAWSON SAXON's STEVE DAWSON: 'We Have Never Ever Tried To Be The Original Band'", Blabbermouth.net, 25 September 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  13. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo "Victim You Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  14. 1 2 Smartt, Ursula (2017) Media & Entertainment Law, Routledge, ISBN 978-1138961883, p. 423
  15. 1 2 Heibutzki, Ralph "End of an Era Review", Allmusic. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  16. ↑ "T Rex act are ready to get it on at Manor Ballroom", East Anglian Daily Times, 19 November 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  17. ↑ "Wheels of steel! Ex-Saxon star beats a stroke", South Yorkshire Times, 8 April 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  18. ↑ "Rock star Graham Oliver plays guitar in sellout concert alongside school pupils", Sheffield Star, 1 April 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  19. ↑ "Vintage Guitars".
  20. ↑ Oliver, Graham & Dawson, Steve (2012) Saxon Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll: The Real Spinal Tap, Tomahawk Press, ISBN 978-0955767050
  21. ↑ "The Real Spinal Tap". tomahawkpress.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009.
  22. ↑ "New Music Festival Set To Rock Thorne", Thorne Times, 1 July 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  23. ↑ "Ready to rock at Haven and Hell", Times & Star, 23 March 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  24. ↑ "Graham Oliver Archived 19 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Mexborough and District Heritage Society. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  25. ↑ Booth, Nigel (2005) "From heavy metal to china", Pontefract & Castleford Express, 20 October 2005. Retrieved 17 October 2017
  26. ↑ "Strong Arm Of The Law | The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican". Thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  27. ↑ "Jump Ararnd | The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican". Thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  28. ↑ "The Devil Went Darn To Barnsley | The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican". Thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  29. ↑ "Crosstarn Traffic | The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican". Thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  30. ↑ "Wheels Of Steel (feat. Graham Oliver) | The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican". 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
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