Luther Grosvenor

2025-10-29T18:57:30Z

50.201.177.190: /* Discography */

{{short description|English rock guitar player (born 1946)}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2010}}
{{use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Luther James Grosvenor
| image = Luther Grosvenor in 1988.jpg
| landscape = yes
| caption = Grosvenor in 1988
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|12|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Evesham]], Worcestershire, England
| alias = Ariel Bender
| instrument = Guitar
| label = [[Ruf Records]]
| past_member_of = {{hlist|[[Spooky Tooth]]|[[Stealers Wheel]]|[[Mott the Hoople]]|[[Widowmaker (British band)|Widowmaker]]}}
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
}}

'''Luther James Grosvenor''' (born 23 December 1946) is an English [[rock music|rock]] musician, who played guitar in [[Spooky Tooth]],<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p18044|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Luther Grosvenor|last=Thompson|first=Dave|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=26 May 2010}}</ref> briefly in [[Stealers Wheel]] and, under the pseudonym '''Ariel Bender''', in [[Mott the Hoople]], [[Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come]] and [[Widowmaker (British band)|Widowmaker]].

Grosvenor was born in [[Evesham]], [[Worcestershire]], England,<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|pages=195/6}}</ref> where he first began playing in local bands. He met [[Jim Capaldi]], who later played with [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]], with whom he formed a group called Deep Feeling.

Later he joined a group called [[The V.I.P.s (band)|The V.I.P.'s]], in which [[Keith Emerson]] played for some time. The V.I.P.'s were renamed Art and later became [[Spooky Tooth]]. After leaving Spooky Tooth, he released a solo album, ''Under Open Skies'' (Island Records, 1971).<ref name="LarkinHR"/>

Ian Hunter asked him to join Mott The Hoople on the condition he change his name to Ariel Bender, a name created by singer-songwriter [[Lynsey de Paul]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Conley |first=Tony |date=2012-03-13 |title=Tony Conley Talks : Ariel Bender/Luther Grosvenor - Jeckyl or Hyde? |url=https://tonyconleytalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/ariel-benderluther-grosvenor-jeckyl-or.html |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Tony Conley Talks}}</ref><ref name="Guinness Rockopedia">{{cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=Guinness Rockopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessrockoped0000unse |url-access=registration |publisher=Guinness Publishing Ltd. |location=London |edition=1st |year=1998 |page=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessrockoped0000unse/page/282 282] |isbn=0-85112-072-5}}</ref> According to Mott's lead singer [[Ian Hunter (singer)|Ian Hunter]], interviewed in the documentary ''The Ballad of Mott the Hoople'', the band were in Germany with Lynsey de Paul for the TV show ''Hits-a-Go-Go'' in Germany on 24 June 1973<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6354792/|title=Episode dated 24 June 1973|access-date=20 May 2019|publisher=IMDb}}</ref> when lead guitarist [[Mick Ralphs]] walked down a street bending a succession of car aerials in frustration. De Paul came out with the phrase "aerial bender", which Hunter later suggested to Grosvenor as a stage name.<ref>''Ballad of Mott the Hoople'' documentary, c. 39:30</ref> Grosvenor joined the band in 1973, replacing Ralphs.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> Grosvenor toured with Mott in 1973 and 1974 and performed on the band's seventh album, ''[[The Hoople]]'' (1974).<ref name="LarkinHR"/>

The years with Spooky Tooth (1967 to 1970), Stealers Wheel (1973) and Mott the Hoople (1973 to 1974) were the most successful years in Grosvenor's musical career.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> After leaving Mott in 1974 – he was replaced by [[Mick Ronson]] – Grosvenor published a few solo albums, and formed Widowmaker,<ref name="LarkinHR"/> releasing ''[[Widowmaker (album)|Widowmaker]]'' in 1976 and ''[[Too Late to Cry (Widowmaker album)|Too Late to Cry]]'' in 1977.

In 1995, he recorded two tracks for Viceroy Music's tribute to [[Peter Green (musician)|Peter Green]] along with former Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> These songs led to Grosvenor signing a deal with the New York City based Brilliant Recording Company and produced the ''Floodgates'' album.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> It was released on 15 August 1996.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> The album again featured Mike Kellie on drums and featured Jess Roden singing vocals on two tracks, Grosvenor did the vocals on the rest of the album. The album was produced by Grosvenor and Mick Dolan.

In 1999, Grosvenor returned in a Spooky Tooth reunion (without Gary Wright), and recorded ''Cross Purpose'' again for the Brilliant Recording Company. In 2005, he revived his pseudonym, forming the Ariel Bender Band. In 2007 and 2008, he performed under the name Ariel Bender's Mott The Hoople, performing both Spooky Tooth and Mott The Hoople songs, as well as cover songs.

In 2009, he worked with London act, The Winter Olympics, recording guitar parts for their song, "The Great Outdoors",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thewinterolympicsband.tumblr.com/post/893335417/thank-you-friends |title=The Winter Olympics • Thank You Friends |website=Thewinterolympicsband.tumblr.com |date=2 August 2010 |access-date=15 June 2013}}</ref> which was released in August 2010.

In 2011 Grosvenor released the ''If You Dare'' album, featuring [[Marc Eden]] on guest vocals<ref>{{Cite web |title=Luther Grosvenor: If You Dare {{!}} FESTIVALPHOTO |url=https://www.festivalphoto.net/reviews&review=1074 |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=www.festivalphoto.net}}</ref>

[[File:M.E. (Ariel Bender on guitar).jpg|thumb|Grosvenor as Ariel Bender in 2020]]

In June 2018, performing as Ariel Bender, Grosvenor played three Mott The Hoople reunion shows with Hunter and 1974 Mott pianist Morgan Fisher, backed by Hunter's Rant Band. The shows were at festivals in Spain and the United Kingdom and a concert in Norway. In April 2019, performing as Ariel Bender, Grosvenor played 14 Mott the Hoople reunion shows – eight in the US, six in the UK – with Hunter and 1974 Mott pianist Morgan Fisher, backed by Hunter's Rant Band. Later in 2019, a planned MTH 74 11-city swing largely through the southern US was canceled because of Hunter's bout with [[tinnitus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ianhunter.com/main/mott-the-hoople-74.shtml|title=Mott The Hoople '74|website=Ianhunter.com|date=30 September 2019|access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>

== Discography ==
* 1971 : ''Under Open Skies''
* 1996 : ''Floodgates''
* 2001 : ''Floodgates – Anthology''
* 2011 : ''If You Dare''
* 2024 : ''Another Journey''
* 2025 : ''I Really Don't Know''

==Media depictions==
Grosvenor is featured along with Spooky Tooth in the 1970 documentary ''Groupies''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Spooky Tooth}}
{{Mott the Hoople}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosvenor, Luther}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:English male guitarists]]
[[Category:Island Records artists]]
[[Category:People from Evesham]]
[[Category:Mott the Hoople members]]
[[Category:Musicians from Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Glam rock musicians]]
[[Category:Spooky Tooth members]]
[[Category:Widowmaker (British band) members]]
[[Category:Ruf Records artists]]
[[Category:Stealers Wheel members]]

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Luther Grosvenor