Jethro Tull (band)

Origin	Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Genres	Progressive rock, folk rock, hard rock, blues rock
Years active	1967–2011, 2017–present
Current members	Ian Anderson, David Goodier, John O'Hara, Scott Hammond, Jack Clark

Jethro Tull was a British rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1967. The band began in the 1960s British blues scene but soon developed a unique style of progressive rock. They mixed hard rock, English folk music, and classical music, and often changed their sound over the years. The band was founded and led by Ian Anderson, who was also the main composer, lead singer, and a skilled flute player.

After getting noticed in London clubs, Jethro Tull released their first album, This Was, in 1968. Their second album, Stand Up, became very popular in the UK. The album Aqualung in 1971 helped them become famous around the world. Later albums like Thick as a Brick showed their growing creativity. The band kept making music and touring through the 1970s and 1980s, trying out new styles like folk rock and electronic rock.

Jethro Tull sold many albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award for the album Crest of a Knave in 1987. They stopped recording new studio albums in the 2000s but continued to tour until they disbanded in 2011. Since 2017, Ian Anderson has used the Jethro Tull name again to make new music.

History

Jethro Tull was a British rock band formed in Blackpool in 1967. The band was led by Ian Anderson. They mixed hard rock, English folk music, and classical music to create a special sound.

The group began by playing blues and became popular quickly. Anderson, who played the flute, was the main writer and singer. Early albums like This Was and Stand Up showed the band’s changing style, mixing blues with jazz and folk.

In the late 1970s, Jethro Tull explored folk rock with albums like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses. The 1980s saw a shift to electronic rock in albums such as A and The Broadsword and the Beast. The band kept changing, adding world music in the 1990s with albums like Roots to Branches.

Jethro Tull released many live albums and toured for years. In 2003, they put out The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, with Christmas songs. The band stopped performing together in the early 2010s, but Anderson kept making music on his own. Recently, he released new albums like The Zealot Gene, RökFlöte, and Curious Ruminant.

Legacy

Many famous musicians were inspired by Jethro Tull. Some of them are Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden, Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P., Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, John Myung from Dream Theater, Marcus Siepen from Blind Guardian, Joe Bonamassa, and Jenny Conlee from the Decemberists. The band Rush also admired Jethro Tull. Their member Geddy Lee said he was a big fan of the band from a young age.

Even though Jethro Tull was very successful and influenced many other bands, they have never been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band's leader, Ian Anderson, doesn’t think they should be included because he believes the Hall of Fame should focus on American music.

Members

Main article: List of Jethro Tull members

The band Jethro Tull has had many members over the years. Some of the current members are Ian Anderson, who sings and plays the flute, and David Goodier, who plays the bass guitar. Other current members include John O'Hara on keyboards and accordion, Scott Hammond on drums, and Jack Clark on guitar.

In the past, many other talented musicians have played with the band.

Mick Abrahams – guitar, vocals (1967–1968; died 2025)

Clive Bunker – drums, percussion (1967–1971)

Glenn Cornick – bass guitar (1967–1970; died 2014)

Tony Iommi – guitar (1968)

Martin Barre – electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, lute, flute (1968–2012)

John Evan – keyboards (1970–1980)

Jeffrey Hammond – bass, vocals (1971–1975)

Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion (1971–1980)

John Glascock – bass guitar, harmony and backing vocals (1975–1979; his death)

Dee Palmer – keyboards (1977–1980; also worked with the band as an arranger between 1967 and 1976)

Dave Pegg – bass, mandolin, vocals (1979–1995)

Mark Craney – drums (1980–1981; died 2005)

Gerry Conway – drums, percussion (1981–1982; studio – 1987–1988; died 2024)

Peter-John Vettese – keyboards, vocoder (1982–1986; studio – 1989)

Doane Perry – drums, percussion, vocals (1984–2012)

Maartin Allcock – keyboards, guitar, mandolin (1988–1991; died 2018)

Andrew Giddings – keyboards, accordion, bass (1991–2007)

Jonathan Noyce – bass, percussion (1995–2007)

Florian Opahle – electric and acoustic guitars (2017–2019)

Joe Parrish – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals (2020–2024)

Guest musicians

David O'List – guitar (1968)

Tony Williams – bass (1978)

Eddie Jobson – keyboards, violin (1980–1981, 1985)

Phil Collins – drums (1982)

Paul Burgess – drums (1983)

Don Airey – keyboards (1987)

Matt Pegg – bass (1991, 1994)

Scott Hunter – drums (1991)

Dave Mattacks – drums, keyboards (1992)

Mark Parnell – drums (1994)

Steve Bailey – bass (1995)

Lucia Micarelli – violin (2005–2006)

Anna Phoebe – violin (2006–2007, 2009)

Ann Marie Calhoun – violin (2006–2007)

James Duncan Anderson – drums (2007–2009)

Mark Mondesir – drums (2009)

Discography

For a more comprehensive list, see Jethro Tull discography.

Studio albums

This Was (1968)

Stand Up (1969)

Benefit (1970)

Aqualung (1971)

Thick as a Brick (1972)

A Passion Play (1973)

War Child (1974)

Minstrel in the Gallery (1975)

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976)

Songs from the Wood (1977)

Heavy Horses (1978)

Stormwatch (1979)

A (1980)

The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)

Under Wraps (1984)

Crest of a Knave (1987)

Rock Island (1989)

Catfish Rising (1991)

Roots to Branches (1995)

J-Tull Dot Com (1999)

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)

The Zealot Gene (2022)

RökFlöte (2023)

Curious Ruminant (2025)

History

Legacy

Members

Discography

Images

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