Colin Hodgkinson
A pioneering bassist who transformed the instrument into a lead voice in rock and blues with his percussive, chord-heavy technique.
Born 1945 (age 81)·British rock, jazz and blues bassist·Birthday: October 14·The Silent Generation
Biography
Colin Hodgkinson's bass doesn't just keep time; it tells stories. Emerging from the British blues and jazz scene in the 1960s, he developed a thumb-slapping, chordal style that made the bass guitar a melodic and rhythmic powerhouse. His work with the blues-rock band Back Door in the early '70s was a revelation, showcasing his ability to simultaneously hold down the groove and play intricate lead lines. This virtuosity made him a sought-after session and touring musician for a who's who of rock, from Whitesnake to Jan Hammer. Hodgkinson never confined himself to one genre, moving seamlessly between blues, jazz fusion, and hard rock, always bringing a distinctive, muscular sound that forced listeners to reconsider the bass's role in a band.
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.
Colin was born in 1945, 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 Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential jazz-blues trio Back Door, whose bass-forward sound was groundbreaking in the early 1970s.
- Recorded and toured extensively with major artists including Whitesnake, Jan Hammer, and the British jazz-rock group Nucleus.
- Developed a highly individual playing style using his thumb to slap the strings and fretting chords, making the bass a lead instrument.
- His playing is featured on notable albums like Whitesnake's 'Slide It In' and numerous solo and collaborative jazz-blues projects.
Did You Know?
He is left-handed but plays a right-handed bass guitar flipped upside down, without re-stringing it.
Before Back Door, he played in a band with guitarist Alexis Korner, a pivotal figure in the British blues scene.
Hodgkinson has battled tinnitus for years, a condition exacerbated by his loud stage volume.
He is known for using a pick as well as his distinctive fingerstyle technique, depending on the musical requirement.
“The bass line is the story; everything else is just decoration.”
