Savoy Brown founder Kim Simmonds dies at 75

Kim Simmonds, the founder of the legendary blues rock group, Savoy Brown, has passed away. According to his Facebook page, Simmonds passed away “peacefully in the evening of December 13.” In the Facebook post mentioning his death, it stated that one of Simmonds’ final wishes was to thank the fans of Savoy Brown. Simmonds was 75 years old.

Over the summer, Simmonds canceled tour dates and revealed he was battling stage 4 colon cancer.

Simmonds mentioned that he had a new record in the can saying, “Luckily there is a new album coming out in a few months’ time that I was able to finish back in the spring. Some of the tracks were “in the bag” prior to my illness. I also switched to slide guitar on others which made it easier to play with my current condition. I’m super happy with all the songs and I believe you will be too upon listening.”

Back in 2020, Blues Rock Review spoke to Simmonds in detail about his life in music. About the name Savoy Brown, Simmonds said, “Savoy was always connected to the jazz and popular world in America with the Savoy theater, Savoy records was a label. Savoy was like an old time American name but there was also a Savoy hotel in England so you know it really had a touch or history to the name Savoy in England and Brown with all the people. So it was Savoy Brown, the Savoy Brown Blues Band, so it was a fictitious blues person and eventually, we dropped the Blues Band and instead of Savoy Brown Blues Band, it just became Savoy Brown.”

Simmonds formed the group in 1965 in London, England, and released a staggering 41 albums over his career with 2020’s Ain’t Done Yet being the most recent release. That album was was voted to Blues Rock Review’s Top 20 Albums of 2020.