# Denny Laine

> British rock musician (1944–2023)

**Wikidata**: [Q434367](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q434367)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Laine)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/denny-laine

## Summary
Denny Laine (1944–2023) was a British rock musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member of the English rock band The Moody Blues and as a member of the British-American rock band Wings led by Paul McCartney. Active from 1957 to 2023, his career spanned multiple genres including rock, blues rock, and jazz fusion, and involved collaborations with major record labels such as EMI and Decca.

## Biography
- **Born:** October 29, 1944
- **Nationality:** British (United Kingdom)
- **Education:** Q24993676
- **Known for:** Founding member of The Moody Blues; member of Wings; work in rock, blues rock, and jazz fusion
- **Employer(s):** Decca, Reprise Records, EMI, Arista Records
- **Field(s):** Rock music, blues rock, jazz fusion, rhythm and blues

## Contributions
Denny Laine's primary contributions lie in his performance and songwriting within several influential musical groups and genres. He was a member of The Moody Blues, an English rock band formed in May 1964, contributing to the early development of the band's sound. He later joined Wings, a British-American rock group led by Paul McCartney that formed in 1971, playing a role in the band's post-Beatles musical output. Laine also contributed to the jazz-rock fusion genre as a member of Ginger Baker's Air Force, a supergroup led by drummer Ginger Baker that formed in 1969. Throughout his career, he operated as a singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist across the rock music, rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues genres.

## FAQs
**What bands was Denny Laine a member of?**
Denny Laine was a member of The Moody Blues, Wings, and Ginger Baker's Air Force.

**When was Denny Laine active?**
His work period began in 1957 and ended in 2023.

**What record labels was Denny Laine associated with?**
He was associated with Decca, Reprise Records, EMI, and Arista Records.

**What was Denny Laine's birth name?**
His birth name was Brian Frederick Hines.

**What instruments did Denny Laine play?**
He was a multi-instrumentalist, specifically noted as a guitarist and singer.

## Why They Matter
Denny Laine holds significance in the history of rock music for his role in bridging the British Invasion era with subsequent rock developments. As a founding member of The Moody Blues, he contributed to the band's initial formation during the mid-1960s. His tenure in Wings placed him within a major commercial force of the 1970s rock scene. By working across diverse genres—from the rock and roll and rhythm and blues roots of the 1960s to the jazz fusion experiments of Ginger Baker's Air Force—Laine demonstrated versatility that influenced the blending of musical styles. His associations with "big four" labels like EMI and historic imprints like Decca and Reprise positioned him within the core infrastructure of the global music industry for over six decades.

## Notable For
- Birth name: Brian Frederick Hines
- Career span: 66 years (1957–2023)
- Founding member of The Moody Blues (inception 1964)
- Member of Wings (inception 1971)
- Member of Ginger Baker's Air Force (inception 1969)
- Affiliation with major record labels: Decca, Reprise Records, EMI, Arista Records
- Occupations: Composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, singer, singer-songwriter, guitarist

## Body

### Identity and Background
Denny Laine was born on October 29, 1944, under the birth name Brian Frederick Hines. He was a citizen of the United Kingdom and remained active in his field until his death on December 5, 2023. His educational background includes an association with the institution identified as Q24993676.

### Musical Occupations and Genres
Laine was a multi-faceted musician whose occupations included composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, singer, singer-songwriter, and guitarist. His work encompassed a wide array of musical genres. He contributed to rock music, a popular genre that emerged around 1948, and rock and roll, an early subgenre originating around 1949 or 1950. His repertoire also included blues rock, a genre combining blues and rock elements that began in the 1960s, and rhythm and blues, a genre originating in African-American communities in the 1940s. Additionally, Laine ventured into jazz fusion, a genre developed in the late 1960s that combines jazz harmony with rock, funk, and rhythm and blues.

### Group Affiliations
Laine's career was defined by his membership in several prominent musical groups:
*   **The Moody Blues:** Laine was a member of this English rock band, which was formed in May 1964. The band is recognized as a significant entity in the rock music landscape.
*   **Wings:** He was a member of this British-American rock band, which was led by Paul McCartney and formed in 1971. The band operated as a major musical act during the 1970s.
*   **Ginger Baker's Air Force:** Laine participated in this jazz-rock fusion supergroup, which was led by drummer Ginger Baker and formed in 1969. This group allowed Laine to explore the fusion of jazz and rock styles.

### Record Label Associations
Throughout his career, Laine was affiliated with several major record labels that played pivotal roles in the music industry:
*   **Decca:** He was associated with this British record label, which was founded in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Decca is known for its significant contributions to the phonographic industry and operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.
*   **Reprise Records:** Laine worked with this American record label, which was founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. Reprise operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group and is known for its historic associations with influential musicians.
*   **EMI:** He had a connection with EMI, a defunct British music recording and publishing company. Founded in 1931 and dissolved in 2012, EMI was one of the "big four" record companies and was headquartered in London.
*   **Arista Records:** Laine was affiliated with this American record label, which was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis. Arista operated as an imprint of Sony Music Entertainment and was known for its focus on genres such as hip-hop, contemporary R&B, pop, and soul.

### Technical Identifiers and Metadata
Denny Laine's profile is documented across numerous international databases and authority files. His identifiers include:
*   **ISNI:** 0000000110688652
*   **VIAF:** 67759728
*   **GND:** 134438353
*   **LCCN:** n80042697
*   **BNF:** 14195849h
*   **IMDb:** nm0481836
*   **MusicBrainz:** c20b66ee-5f30-4346-b648-23979ddc61f8
*   **Discogs:** 257417
*   **RERO:** 261255
*   **Bibliothèque nationale de France:** 14195849h
*   **Library of Congress:** n80042697
*   **CiNii:** DA05067863
*   **SNAC:** 87097991303248
*   **RKDartists:** 365705
*   **VIAF:** 67759728
*   **WorldCat Identities:** lccn-n80042697
*   **Wikidata:** Q312642

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Integrated Authority File
3. [Denny Laine, Moody Blues and Wings Co-Founder, Dies at 79. Ultimate Classic Rock. 2023](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/denny-laine-dies/)
4. International Standard Name Identifier
5. MusicBrainz
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. IMDb
8. [Denny Laine of Wings and the Moody Blues Dies at 79](https://rockcellarmagazine.com/denny-laine-dies-79-wings-moody-blues-details/#google_vignette)
9. SNAC
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. Google Knowledge Graph
12. Genius API
13. Carnegie Hall linked open data
14. [Source](https://www.musik-sammler.de/artist/denny-laine)