Richard Hudson

Richard William Stafford Hudson (born 9 May 1948) is an English musician who played drums and sitar for the Strawbs. He later joined forces with bassist John Ford to form a duo, Hudson Ford, in which he played guitar and sang. Career Richard Hudson was a member of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, in which he played drums and sitar and sang. In 1970, he and band-mate John Ford joined Strawbs. Hudson and Ford began to co-write material which appeared to be aiming in a slightly different direction to the compositions of Strawbs' main writer, Dave Cousins. In 1973 after a 52-date tour to promote the album Bursting at the Seams, there were acrimonious exchanges (which both parties now regret). Hudson and Ford left to form Hudson Ford. Hudson at this point switched from playing drums to guitar and sang more lead vocals. The punk era sounded the death knell of many progressive rock acts, including Hudson Ford. Hudson, Ford and Terry Cassidy founded the mock punk group The Monks and, more strangely, High Society, which performed a pastiche of 1930s music. Hudson rejoined Strawbs for their 1987 album Don't Say Goodbye and stayed on for 1991's Ringing Down the Years on which he co-wrote two tracks with bass player Rod Demick and guitarist Brian Willoughby.