Roger Ball

Scottish musician; member of the hit ‘70s rock group, Average White Band. A jazz sax player, he is also capable on the keyboard with jazz, rhythm and blues. The band's hits include the LPs "Cut the Cake," 1975 and "Soul Searchin'," 1976.

Ball is both a natural musician and a mathematician. In Dundee art college in the mid-'60s he studied architecture. Before joining the Average White Band, Ball’s credits included record sessions with Johnny Nash, Family, Forever More, Stone The Crows and Maggie Bell. Through his understanding of chords and tonal textures, Ball lent class to the band and he could also throw in the unexpected.

The individual members were veterans of numerous Scottish soul and jazz groups; together Average White Band made their debut in 1973 as the opening act for Eric Clapton. Their debut album, "Show Your Hand," followed shortly thereafter but wasn’t successful. After adopting the abbreviated moniker AWB, a year later their next self-titled album topped the American pop charts with the instrumental "Pick Up the Pieces." The record's huge success was tempered by the 23 September 1974 death of band member McIntosh, who died at a Hollywood party after overdosing on heroin.