Remembering 2025’s Music Losses: John Lodge

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Every year we lose a long list of famous and near-famous in the world of music, and every year I salute them. Remember, these aren’t “the biggest names,” they’re the biggest ones to me personally. Since this is my brother’s favorite band, this one was big. Here’s the man we’ll remember today. John Lodge As the bass player for the Moody Blues, John Lodge helped give rock a new direction in the late 60s. Today we call it “prog rock.” Whatever you want to call it, it’s good. If you listen to the first Moody Blues album, the one with Denny Laine on it, you’ll hear a decidedly different sound than the expansive music and deep lyrics that you associate with the legendary British band. Laine left after the first album, and the Moodies left that “pop” sound behind quickly. Lucky for us. Although not an original member (all of the original members have died, with original keyboardist Mike Pinder being the final original member [he died in 2024]), Lodge helped make the Moodies one of the most treasured bands of the 60s through the 80s. With Lodge’s passing, only Justin Hayward remains from the golden era of the Moody Blues. Oh, and here’s one of those strange things that happens every now and then: Lodge joined the Moodies after a “temporary” bassist named Rod Clark left with Denny Laine in 1966. Clark died last year, too. John Lodge Born John Charles Lodge, July 20, 1943, Erdington, Birmingham Died October, 10, 2025, Naples, Florida (unknown cause) (age 82) HALL OF FAME: Rock and Roll, 2018 (with the Moody Blues) One of the songs John Lodge wrote, “Ride My See-Saw”: