Wormz Obituaries
Gary Thain
Bands: Uriah Heap, Keef Hartley Band,
Gary Thain died aged twenty-seven on 8th December 
1975, of respiratory failure due to a heroin overdose, at his flat in Norwood Green, London, United Kingdom.
Gary Thain was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and had two older brothers, Colin and Arthur. He recorded in Christchurch in a band called “The Strangers” Gary moved to Australia at the age of seventeen and it was there that he became a member of the band "The Secrets", which eventually dissolved in 1966. Later, Gary Thain was part of the rock trio The New Nadir, and with the drummer Peter Dawkins, he travelled from New Zealand to London.
Gary Thain joined the Keef Hartley Band and, in 1971, they toured with Uriah Heep. Uriah Heap asked him to join them in February 1972, and he stayed in the band until February 1975. He played on four studi
o albums: Demons & Wizards, The Magician's Birthday, Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld as well as their live album, titled Uriah Heep Live.
During his last tour in the United States with Uriah Heep, Gary Thain suffered an electric shock at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas in September 1974, and was seriously injured. Due to his drug addiction he was not able to perform properly, and was fired by the band in early 1975 and replaced by former King Crimson bassist/vocalist, John Wetton.