Founder Rod Argent wrote on The Zombies official Facebook today about the passing of bassist Jim Rodford who had played with the band since their 2004 reunion.
He died as the result of a fall following The Zombies return to the UK after their final US performances of the landmark album Odessey & Oracle. I was fortunate enough to have photographed him less than two weeks ago at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall during the last performance of the album on American soil.
Rodford was a founding member of Argent, performing on their 1970's hits "Hold Your Head Up" and "God Gave Rock 'n Roll to You'. After the demise of Argent, Rodford joined The Kinks for their late era hits "Come Dancing", "Destroyer" and "Celluloid Heroes". Later he would be a part of Ringo Starr's All Star Band.
I spoke to Rod Argent at length in 2014 about the early days of The Zombies and he recounted how he always wanted his cousin Jim to be in the band, but as he was few years older, he was already a success in a more established local group, The Bluetones. (Rodford would finish the sixties as a member of The Mike Cotton Sound). He echoed that sentiment during the final Odessey & Oracle performance in Ponte Vedra.
Jim Rodford was 76.