Brian Auger
A pioneering British keyboardist who fused jazz, rock, and soul, making the Hammond organ a roaring, funky force in modern music.
Born 1939 (age 87)·English keyboardist (b. 1939)·Birthday: July 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Brian Auger didn't just play the Hammond organ; he unleashed it. Coming out of London's early 1960s jazz scene, he was a purist until he heard Ray Charles and Jimmy Smith, which ignited a passion for soul and R&B. He formed the groundbreaking ensemble The Trinity, first with singer Julie Driscoll, creating a hypnotic jazz-rock blend that turned Bob Dylan's 'This Wheel's on Fire' into a psychedelic smash. Auger then dove headlong into jazz-funk fusion with his band Oblivion Express in the 1970s, where his virtuosic, driving organ lines and electric piano work found a dedicated audience, particularly in the United States. His sound—a lush, swirling, and rhythmically potent mix—became a sampler's paradise decades later, mined by hip-hop artists. Never a mainstream star, Auger remained a musician's musician, a key figure in the transatlantic journey of the Hammond B-3 from jazz clubs to rock arenas.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Brian was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 87 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the jazz-rock group The Trinity with Julie Driscoll, scoring a major UK hit with a cover of 'This Wheel's on Fire' in 1968.
- Founded the influential jazz-funk fusion band Oblivion Express, releasing a series of acclaimed albums throughout the 1970s.
- Pioneered the use of the Hammond organ and clavinet in a rock and fusion context, influencing generations of keyboard players.
- Collaborated with a wide range of artists including Rod Stewart, Jimi Hendrix (on jam sessions), and Tony Williams.
Did You Know?
He turned down an invitation to join the jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears early in his career.
His 1970 track 'Happiness Is Just Around the Bend' was sampled by The Beastie Boys on their album 'Hello Nasty.'
Auger's son, Karma Auger, is a drummer who has performed in his father's bands.
He was an early adopter of the portable Hammond L-100 and later the B-3, helping define their rock sound.
“The Hammond is a beast; you don't tame it, you ride it.”
