Graham John Clifton Bond (28 October 1937 in Romford, East London, England – 8 May 1974 at Finsbury Park station, Finsbury Park, North London, England) was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s. Along with John Mayall and Alexis Korner, Bond was one of the great catalytic figures of '60s rock in Britain. Technologically and musically, Bond was an innovator, perhaps the first British musician to use the Hammond organ and Leslie speaker combination (in an R&B context), the first to "split" the instrument for portability, the first to build an electronic keyboard, and the first rock musician to use a mellotron, which can be heard on his first two LPs. Bond was educated at the prestigious Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park, a borough of London. He first gained attention as a jazz saxophonist as a member of the Don Rendell Quintet. Afterwards, he was briefly a member of Alexis Korner's group before forming the Graham Bond Organisation (GBO). With a lineup of Bond on vocals and organ, Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce on double bass, and, briefly, John McLaughlin on guitar, they generally stayed close to their jazz and R&B roots. Bond was the primary songwriter, and he also produced the group's two studio albums, The Sound of '65 and There's a Bond Between Us. The GBO is notable in popular music history for jump-starting the careers of two future Cream members, bassist/singer Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. One son

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