Jamie Moses
A versatile and in-demand session guitarist who stepped from the shadows to play with rock royalty, anchoring tours for Queen and Paul Rodgers.
Born 1955 (age 71)·English singer and guitarist·Birthday: August 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jamie Moses built his career not on flashy solos, but on impeccable taste, reliability, and a chameleon-like ability to fit any musical setting. For years, he was one of London's top session musicians, a guitarist you could call for a pop recording, a rock tour, or a jazz gig. His big break into the spotlight came when Brian May, seeking a tight, sympathetic band for solo work, brought him into the fold. Moses's rhythm playing provided the crucial bedrock for May's virtuoso leads, a partnership that proved so successful it evolved. When Queen embarked on a new chapter with vocalist Paul Rodgers, Moses was the natural choice as the touring guitarist, tasked with recreating the complex guitar layers of Queen's catalogue night after night with precision and power. Beyond this, his tenure with Mike & the Mechanics showed his melodic pop sensibility, making him a musician trusted by some of the biggest names in the business to deliver without ego.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jamie was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jamie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Jamie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
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
1960Started school
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
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Toured globally as the rhythm guitarist for Queen + Paul Rodgers from 2005 to 2009.
- Was a core member of The Brian May Band, performing and recording on May's solo projects.
- Played guitar for Mike & the Mechanics, both in the studio and on tour, for several years.
- Performed as a session musician for a wide range of artists including Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler, and The Pretenders.
- Was a founding member of the 1980s band Broken English, which had chart success in Europe.
Did You Know?
He is left-handed but plays guitar right-handed.
He composed the theme music for the UK television show 'The Knock'.
In the 1990s, he had a regular gig playing in the house band for the BBC's 'Later... with Jools Holland'.
He played on the original recording of the hit song 'The Living Years' by Mike & the Mechanics.
He is also a skilled vocalist and has provided backing vocals on many recordings and tours.
“The best compliment is when they don't notice the guitar, just the song.”
