Rob Townsend
Rob Townsend (born 7 July 1947) is an English rock and blues drummer. He was the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band. Biography. Townsend was born in Frog Island, Leicester, England, where he spent his teenage years playing in various bands, such as the Beatniks, Broodly Hoo and Legay. He became drummer for Family, replacing Harry Overnall in 1967. Family broke up in 1973 and Townsend joined Medicine Head. After eighteen months he left Medicine Head and spent much of the late 1970s as freelance session drummer for Peter Skellern, George Melly and  Bill Wyman amongst others. During this time he played drums for Kevin Ayers and Charlie Whitney's Axis Point. In 1982 Townsend joined The Blues Band, in a line up including Paul Jones, guitarists Dave Kelly and Tom McGuinness also bassist Gary Fletcher. He has also appeared with Jones and McGuinness in the Manfred Mann splinter band The Manfreds. Townsend once said in an interview: Townsend mentioned jazz greats Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa as influences in the same interview.