Annie Haslam (Bolton)

Progressive rock vocalist, songwriter Annie Haslam (b. Anne Haslam, Sunday, June 8, 1947, Bolton, Lancashire, UK) was the younger sister of singer Michael Haslam (b. Michael James Haslam, Monday, December 20, 1939, Bolton, Lancashire, UK d. Thursday, May 29, 2003, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK). She was famous as the lead singer in English progressive rock band Renaissance. 

Haslam was a fashion student in Cornwall and also worked as a dress designer in London, before studying in 1970 under Opera singer Sybil Knight. It was while at university, that Haslam began to start singing, encouraged by friend's after spontaneously performing a rendition of Mary Hopkins big hit ''Those Were The Days,'' at a local pub.

Haslam became lead singer in famous 70's band Renaissance in February 1971. She joined them after answering an advertisement in Late 1970 in music magazine Melody Maker and then auditioned for the band in Surrey in January 1971. She replaced American Folk singer Annie-Marie 'Binky' Cullam, who in Late 1970 had replaced singer Jane Relf (b. Friday, March 7, 1947, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK). 

Renaissance had been found in January 1969, by Jane Relf's older brother Keith Relf (b. William Keith Relf, Monday, March 22, 1943, Richmond Hospital?, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK) and Jim McCarty (b. James Stanley McCarty, Sunday, July 25, 1943, Walton General Hospital, Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire, UK), who had both been in The Yardbirds. The original line-up had Relf on lead vocals, guitar, McCarty on drums, Louis Cennamo on bass (b. Louis David Cennamo, Tuesday, March 5, 1946, Hornsey, North London, UK), John Hawken on piano (b. John Christopher Hawken, Thursday, May 9, 1940, Christchurch General Hospital, Bournemouth, Hampshire, UK) and Jane Relf on additional vocals. In Summer 1970 Relf, McCarty and Cennamo left to be replaced by former members of Hawken's old band The Nashville Teens, lead guitarist Mick Dunford (b. Michael Dunford, Saturday, July 8, 1944, Addleston, Surrey, UK d. Tuesday, November 20, 2012, Surrey, UK) (ex-The Plebs from c. May 1964, The Pentad, c. April 1965 - c. April 1966), bassist Neil Korner (b. Thursday, August 6, 1942, Ashford, Kent, UK) (ex-The New Vaudeville Band), lead singer Terry Crowe (b. Terence Crowe, 1941, 16 Beaufort Road, Maybury, Woking, Surrey, UK d. RIP) (ex-The Plebs from c. May 1964, The Pentad, c. April 1965 - c. April 1966) and drummer Terry Slade (b. Terence Slade). 

Crewe left Renaissance in Spring 1971. Korner also left and was replaced by a succession of bassist, including John Wetton (b. John Kenneth Wetton, Sunday, June 12, 1949, Wallington, Derby, Derbyshire, UK) (ex-The Corvettes, The Palmer James Group, Tetrad, The Ginger Man, James Litherland's Brotherhood, Mogul Thrush), Frank Farrell (b. Francis Anthony Farrell, Wednesday, March 31, 1948, Birmingham, Warwickshire, UK d. Saturday, July 19, 1997, London, UK) (ex-The Silverlinks from 1963, The Ray King Soul Band from 1964, Breakthru,' 1968 - 1970) and Danny McCulloch (b. Daniel Joseph McCulloch, Wednesday, July 18, 1945, Shepherd's Bush, West London, UK) (ex-The Avro Boys, Tony Craven and the Casuals, Frankie Reid and the Casuals, Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages, The Plebs, c. May 1964 - c. April 1965, The Carl Douglas Set, Eric Burdon and the Animals). The bass possession settled when Jon Camp joined the band. It was also decided that Dunford would concentrate on song writing, so for live work Mick Parsons (b. Michael Parson) was brought in. In 1972 Slade left and was replaced by drummer Terence Sullivan.

John H. Warburg