Steve Peregrine Took

Drummer Steve Took was one half of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex before a shortened name and a change of musical styles brought its founder <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Marc Bolan</a> incredible fame. At 18, Took answered an ad in a London underground paper, The International Times, placed by a young hippie named <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Marc Bolan</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Bolan</a> was fascinated by mythology, particularly J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the duo they formed, Tyrannosaurus Rex, paid heavy tribute to the hippie mysticism of the day. While <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Bolan</a> sang about elves, magic, and the days of old, Took added exemplary percussion, bass, piano, and harmony vocals. Took and <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Bolan</a> released three albums together and built a small cult following which included BBC DJ John Peel, who helped them secure a record deal in the first place. Yet, drug addiction and bizarre acts of violence on-stage, such as whipping himself with a belt until he bled, led Took to fall out of favor with <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Bolan</a> and, after a 1969 American tour, Took was asked to leave the band. He went on to play with <a href="spotify:artist:45BIdHR6MPeNr1aNT10GJE">the Pink Fairies</a> for a time before leading a somewhat more subterranean lifestyle in London. Took, who was called the <a href="spotify:artist:41ZUI3a7yx5P3nfzkUZlDr">Pete Best</a> of the '70s by insensitive journalists, watched helplessly as T. Rex and his old partner <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Marc Bolan</a> went on to become stars in the U.K. He died in 1980 after choking on a cocktail cherry. ~ Steve Kurutz, Rovi