Rick Battersby

Rick Battersby was born Richard William Wright Battersby, on 10 December 1956 in St Thomas’ Hospital, London opposite the Houses of Parliament – as coincidentally was Brian some 2½ years earlier. “I grew up in North London,” says Rick today, “then moved to Salisbury when I was about ten. Later, I went to Merchant Taylor’s [Public] School in Northwood, Middlesex, then off to Reading University to study Geology”.

Rick took piano lessons while at school: “My early musical influences were classical. I remember being blown away when a neighbour invited me round to listen to his new hi-fi and he played me Saint-Saens’ 3rd Symphony. Classical music is still a huge love for me today. In February 1971, when I was fourteen, I went to my first proper gig to see a ‘rock’ band. It was at the old Rainbow to see a band I had never heard of. Again, I was completely blown away, never having conceived that such amazing music existed. The band of course was Genesis.”

Richard Battersby performed 278 gigs with Twelfth Night between August 1979 and November 1981, and between November 1982 and October 1987.

These days Richard works for a mortgage company and is a keen rock climber.