Ian McLagan
The boogie-woogie heartbeat of the Faces, whose rollicking piano and Hammond organ defined the sound of ragged, good-time rock and roll.
1945–2014 (age 69)·British keyboardist·Birthday: May 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ian McLagan provided the glorious, whiskey-soaked glue for two of Britain's most beloved rock acts. Joining the mod pioneers the Small Faces in 1965, his swirling Hammond B-3 organ lines became essential to their psychedelic soul sound on classics like 'Itchycoo Park.' When frontman Steve Marriott left, McLagan stayed on as the band evolved into the Faces with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. Here, his piano and organ work became the foundation for a raucous, party-ready brand of rock, underpinning anthems like 'Stay with Me' with a joyous, pub-piano energy. McLagan was the consistent thread, the musical anchor amid the legendary onstage chaos. After the Faces dissolved, he became a sought-after session player, lending his distinctive touch to records by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and countless others. He spent his later years in Austin, Texas, leading his own Bump Band, forever embodying the unpretentious, feel-good spirit of the music he helped create, right up until his death in 2014.
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.
Ian 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 Ian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Ian'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
2014Died at 69
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the Small Faces/Faces.
- Played keyboards on every Faces album, including the seminal 'A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse.'
- Was a longtime touring and session keyboardist for the Rolling Stones throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
- Released several solo albums with his band, the Bump Band, after relocating to Austin, Texas.
Did You Know?
He purchased his signature Hammond M-102 organ for £50 from the band's roadie.
McLagan married his wife, Kim, in 1978 at a ceremony where Keith Richards was the best man.
He wrote and published a memoir titled 'All the Rage: A Riotous Romp Through Rock and Roll History.'
After moving to the U.S., he became a vocal advocate for the city of Austin's music scene.
“The Faces never made a bad record. We might have been falling down drunk, but we never made a bad record.”
