Alan Lancaster (February 7, 1949 – September 26, 2021) was born Alan Charles Lancaster and was an English musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the legendary British rock band Status Quo.
While attending Sedgehill Comprehensive School in London in 1962, Alan Lancaster befriended future Status Quo singer and guitarist Francis Rossi while playing in the school orchestra. With classmates Alan Key on drums and Jess Jaworski on keyboards, they formed a band called The Scorpions, who played their first gig at the Samuel Jones Sports Club in Dulwich.
At a later gig at the sports club, manager Pat Barlow approached the band, and Alan Lancaster’s mother agreed to let him manage the band. Alan Key was replaced by future Quo member John Coghlan on drums, and the band was renamed The Spectres.
The Spectres wrote their own material and played live shows, and in 1965 played at Butlin’s Minehead. There they met future Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt, who was playing as part of a cabaret act called “The Highlights”. The band became close friends with Parfitt, and they started to work together.
In 1966, The Spectres signed a five-year deal with Piccadilly Records, releasing three singles that failed to chart. The group again changed their name, this time to “Traffic Jam”, after embracing psychedelia.
The band name was changed to The Status Quo in 1967 and then to Status Quo in 1969.
Status Quo have now been active for 60 consecutive years, despite announcing a breakup and doing the “End Of The Road “tour in 1984.
In July 1985 Status Quo opened “Live Aid” at Wembley Stadium with “Rockin’ All Over the World”, and this turned out to be Alan Lancaster’s final performance as a full-time member of Status Quo.
Following Live Aid, Alan Lancaster’s relationship with Francis Rossi became increasingly strained. Especially when Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt began recording a new album under the name of “Status Quo” without Alan Lancaster, who was now living in Australia, knowing about it. Alan Lancaster was substituted by session musician John ‘Rhino’ Edwards, who had been recording on a solo project of Rick Parfitt’s and who remains Status Quo’s bassist to this day.
In 1987 Alan Lancaster joined a new line-up of the Australian band The Party Boys and co-produced their album “The Party Boys”, achieving platinum sales. The single “He’s Gonna Step on You Again” was number one in the Australian charts for two weeks.
In 1988, Alan Lancaster formed The Bombers, which signed to A&M Records. It was paid the largest advance ever paid to an Australian-based band, but after the band had completed one album, A&M was sold to Phonogram.
The Bombers’ original drummer was Lancaster’s ex-Status Quo bandmate John Coghlan. The Bombers supported Cheap Trick in 1988, Alice Cooper in 1990 and Skid Row also in 1990 on their tours of Australia.
When the Bombers disbanded, Alan Lancaster continued with John Brewster from “The Angels” with “The Lancaster Brewster Band”, in which Angry Anderson performed as a guest artist for some time.
Alan Lancaster then formed his own band called “Alan Lancaster’s Bombers” which released an E.P. and toured Scandinavia before disbanding in 1995.
As well as writing the theme song for the film “Indecent Obsession”, Alan Lancaster also produced an album for classical pianist Roger Woodward, which achieved platinum sales in Australia.
In March 2010 Alan Lancaster and Francis Rossi met in Sydney leading to speculation of the original line-up reuniting. This was later denied by current bassist, John ‘Rhino’ Edwards, who explained in an interview that Alan Lancaster was in poor health and unable to participate in any such reunion.
However, Alan Lancaster’s health improved and it was announced that the classic “Frantic Four” line-up of Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan would perform a series of concerts together in March 2013.
In 2014, Alan Lancaster again participated in the original four-piece Status Quo line-up and went on another successful tour. Although he appeared to be physically fragile on stage, his vocals were well received by the crowds. Alan Lancaster’s final appearance with Status Quo on the tour took place on April 12 at The O2 in Dublin.
As of 2015, Status Quo were one of only 50 artists to have ever achieved more than 500 total weeks on the UK Albums Chart. With their various records for both single and album releases, Status Quo are one of the most successful bands of all time in the UK.
Status Quo have had over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock band, including “Pictures of Matchstick Men”, “Down Down”, “Rockin’ All Over the World”, “Whatever You Want”, “In the Army Now”, and “What You’re Proposing”. Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, and fifty-seven reached the Top 40. They have released over 100 singles and 33 albums, most of which were bestsellers. Since reaching number 5 on the UK albums chart in 1972 with “Piledriver”, Status Quo have achieved a career total of 25 UK top ten albums, extending all the way up to their most recent release, “Backbone”, in 2019.
Alan Lancaster died in Sydney, Australia, on September 26, 2021, at the age of 72, due to complications from multiple sclerosis.
He is survived by his wife Dayle, who he married in 1978, his children Alan Jr, Toni and David, and five grandchildren.
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