Zoot Money Has Died

UK R&B pioneer Zoot Money has died.

The news was confirmed on his social media channels this weekend, with a simple notice on Zoot Money’s Facebook feed:

Ladies and gentlemen – Zoot Money has left the building.

May the circle be unbroken.

George Bruno Money

17th July 1942 – 8th September 2024

Born and brought up in Bournemouth, Zoot Money was drawn to music from a young age, becoming obsessed with Black American rhythm ‘n’ blues. Taking his stage name from jazz musicians Zoot Sims, he became a key fixture on the London and south coast club scene.

Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band could command huge crowds in the metropolis and beyond, particularly amongst the nascent Mod scene. While a big concert draw, a hit eluded them – the band’s version of ‘Big Time Operator’ perhaps becoming their best-known moment.

Often compared to John Mayall – himself recently passed – the Big Roll Band becoming a finishing school for UK R&B musicians. Zoot Money and Andy Summers – later of the Police – developed a close partnership, and when the counter culture blossomed the band was overhauled as the psychedelia-oriented Dantalian’s Chariot.

Dressed in white and with a wonderful live show, the band had one golden moment – ‘Madman Running Through The Fields’ – but found audiences beyond the London underground eluded them.

Returning to his blues and soul roots, Zoot Money was an in-demand session musician over the following decades, as well as a consistent touring act. Amongst his more curious achievements was overseeing the soundtrack for cult classic TV series Tutti Frutti.

Zoot Money passed away on September 8th – he was 82 years old.