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Biography
Best known as the touring keyboardist for the Who since the late ’70s, John “Rabbit” Bundrick has also issued countless solo releases, in addition to session work for other artists. Born on November 21, 1948, in Houston, TX, Bundrick came from a very musical family (his mother played piano, his father the bass, and his brothers various other instruments), leading to the youngster learning the piano at the age of seven. Four years later, Bundrick joined his father in a local country band, and at the age of 15, was an in-demand session musician at local Houston recording studios. After a college career failed to pan out (Bundrick flunked all his subjects except for music), the young keyboardist relocated to Los Angeles, during which time he picked up the nickname “Rabbit” due to his buck teeth. Bundrick eventually returned back to Houston, where he picked up steady session work once more, during which time he befriended pop-reggae singer Johnny Nash.
After living in Sweden for a period of time, Bundrick united with Nash in London, where he wrote several songs for and played on Nash’s hit 1972 album I Can See Clearly Now, which spawned a massive hit single with its carefree title track. Through Nash, Bundrick met Bob Marley, and lent his synthesizer/keyboard talents to Marley’s 1973 release Catch a Fire. Around the same time, Bundrick was asked to join an offshoot project of the British blues-rock outfit Free called Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit, who spawned a lone self-titled release before splitting up. But it was through these projects that the floodgates for further session work seemed to open for Bundrick, as he played on recordings by Sandy Denny, Andy Fairweather-Low, Jim Capaldi, Eric Burdon, Donovan, John Martyn, Silverhead, and Free (the latter of which briefly reunited after the dissolution of Kossoff, Kirke, Tetsu & Rabbit).
