19 Facts About Robert Heaton

Robert Charles Heaton was an English musician best known as the drummer for the rock band New Model Army.

Besides being the drummer for the band Heaton was responsible for much of the band's songwriting, contributing particularly heavily towards the musical content of the album Thunder and Consolation.

Robert Heaton was probably the first person to play a synchronous drum and harmonica solo, doing so in the song "Shot 18" on the No Rest for The Wicked tour.

Robert Heaton drummed for Hawkwind for a brief period in the 1980s, featuring on The Earth Ritual Preview which was recorded in late 1983 and released in 1984.

Robert Heaton was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, and lived in Canada and Belgium as a child.

Robert Heaton was musically gifted, eventually mastering the guitar and harmonica as well as the drums, for which he is better-known, and played keyboards and fiddle.

Robert Heaton began playing guitar and drumming along to his dad's collection of trad jazz recordings.

Robert Heaton developed an eclectic musical taste, taking in rock influences like Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top and the country music of Johnny Cash and classical composers; Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Vivaldi.

Robert Heaton worked as a drum technician for Hawkwind from 1981 until 1983.

Robert Heaton recorded The Earth Ritual Preview EP with the band in 1983, and performed with them at that year's Stonehenge Free Festival, deputising for Anderson.

Robert Heaton left Hawkwind in 1983 in order to focus fully on his new project New Model Army whom he had joined in 1982, replacing previous drummer Rob Waddington.

In 1982 Robert Heaton joined New Model Army who had formed in late 1980 but had yet to find any real success.

Robert Heaton's arrival marked the beginning of New Model Army's professional era; the band had previously had a few other drummers, but had released no music during this time.

Together with frontman Justin Sullivan, Robert Heaton was the core of the Bradford-based band, originally alongside Stuart Morrow on bass and then later with Jason 'Moose' Harris.

Robert Heaton was responsible for many of New Model Army's best-known compositions, which are still played nowadays at their gigs.

Robert Heaton left New Model Army in 1998 for health reasons - he had long suffered from sarcoidosis, undergoing repeated surgery, and was then diagnosed with a brain tumour - and was replaced on drums by his roadie Michael Dean.

Robert Heaton joined forces with Jont Watson and Matt Webster from Bradford band Zed to create a recording studio and record label named Mutiny 2000, set up to record and promote music from the Bradford area.

Robert Heaton then became a New Deal adviser and continued to produce and record local bands under the 'Fresh Milk' project, putting on live events at venues in Bradford and at the Bradford Festival.

Tributes to Robert Heaton came in from all over the world, and he received obituaries in numerous publications including The Independent, The Times and MOJO magazine.