Gordon Haskell is an English musician and songwriter from Verwood in the United Kingdom. Born in 1946 and dying in 2020, he first comes to wider notice as bassist with Les Fleur de Lys before spending a short period with King Crimson. He also works with Rupert’s People, Cupid’s Inspiration and Shyster.

King Crimson

Haskell is part of King Crimson’s transitional 1970 line-up. He appears on Lizard, sings one of the songs on the band’s second album, and sings as well as plays bass on their third album. He leaves during rehearsals for live work because his more folk-oriented interests do not fit the group’s sound. He is also a school friend of Robert Fripp and has previously worked with him in an earlier version of League of Gentlemen.

Solo career

After leaving King Crimson, Haskell continues as a solo artist. His early solo releases include It Is And It Isn’t in 1972 on Atlantic and Serve At Room Temperature in 1979 on RCA; the latter is not released until 1997. He later lives in Denmark in the 1980s, where he plays in bars six nights a week while paying off debt, and he says this period strengthens his voice.

In the 1990s he continues recording and releasing singles and albums. Almost Certainly, released in 1990, reaches number one in South Africa. Hambledon Hill follows and receives BBC Radio 1 airplay from Bob Harris, though a planned single does not appear after the distributor goes bankrupt. Voiceprint reissues the album in 1994.

Commercial success in the 2000s

Haskell gains international recognition in 2001 with How Wonderful You Are, a song from Look Out. Johnnie Walker plays it on BBC Radio 2 the day before 11 September 2001, and it becomes the most requested song in the station’s history. Released as a single, it reaches number two in the UK Singles Chart and sells 400,000 copies. His album Harry’s Bar is then released on East West after a Warner Bros. album deal and also reaches number two in the UK Albums Chart.

Later in 2002 he releases Shadows On The Wall, which reaches number 44 in the UK Albums Chart.

Later releases and autobiography

Haskell’s album The Lady Wants To Know contains eleven tracks and is produced by Hamish Stuart. It features Tony O’Malley and Robbie McIntosh, both formerly of Average White Band, and reaches number 14 in the Polish album charts.

He also publishes an autobiography, The Road To Harry’s Bar, with a foreword by David Nobbs. A DVD with the same title is released in 2005. After commuting from Skopelos for eight years, he returns to the UK in 2017 for a British tour with Hannah’s Yard.