Denny Laine – born Brian Hines in Tyseley, Birmingham, England on October 29,
1944 – was a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his
work with both The Moody Blues and (Paul McCartney and) Wings. He began his
professional career as leader of his own band, Denny Laine and The Diplomats,
which featured drummer Bev Bevan, later of The Move and Electric Light
Orchestra. He split his own band in 1964 when he got a call from Ray Thomas and
Mike Pinder about forming a new group, which would then become The Moody Blues.
While their first album, The Magnificent Mood...