Steve Peregrine Took

Drummer Steve Took was one half of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex before a shortened name and a change of musical styles brought its founder Marc Bolan incredible fame. At 18, Took answered an ad in a London underground paper, The International Times, placed by a young hippie named Marc Bolan. Bolan was fascinated by mythology, particularly J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the duo they formed, Tyrannosaurus Rex, paid heavy tribute to the hippie mysticism of the day. While Bolan sang about elves, magic, and the days of old, Took added exemplary percussion, bass, piano, and harmony vocals. Took and Bolan released three albums together and built a small cult following which included BBC DJ John Peel, who helped them secure a record deal in the first place. Yet, drug addiction and bizarre acts of violence on-stage, such as whipping himself with a belt until he bled, led Took to fall out of favor with Bolan and, after a 1969 American tour, Took was asked to leave the band. He went on to play with the Pink Fairies for a time before leading a somewhat more subterranean lifestyle in London. Took, who was called the Pete Best of the '70s by insensitive journalists, watched helplessly as T. Rex and his old partner Marc Bolan went on to become stars in the U.K. He died in 1980 after choking on a cocktail cherry. ~ Steve Kurutz