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Bass Legend Andrew Bodnar Dies at 71
30 Mar
Summary
- Andrew Bodnar, bass guitarist for Graham Parker & The Rumour, has died.
- He played on iconic songs like 'Watching the Detectives' and 'I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass'.
- Bodnar also worked as a library assistant between music careers.
Andrew Bodnar, the esteemed bass guitarist for Graham Parker & The Rumour, has died at the age of 71. His distinguished career began in the early 1970s on the London pub-rock scene. Bodnar, alongside drummer Stephen Goulding, formed the rhythm section that would become integral to Stiff Records' sound.
He was a vital part of Graham Parker & The Rumour's albums released between 1975 and 1980. Bodnar's impactful bass lines were also featured on seminal tracks like Elvis Costello's 'Watching the Detectives' (1977) and Nick Lowe's 'I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass' (1978), for which he earned a writing credit.
Facing the intense pressures of touring, Bodnar took breaks from the music industry, working as a senior library assistant. He later rejoined Graham Parker between 1987 and 1996, and again when The Rumour reformed in 2011, releasing two albums and featuring in the 2012 film 'This Is 40'.
His musical journey continued until 2015. Bodnar also had a life outside music, working at Malton library until his retirement. He passed away in 2023 after being diagnosed with liver cancer, survived by his partner Peter and siblings Richard and Ann.
