Denny Laine, co-founder of the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney’s Wings, dies at 79.
Denny Laine was born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, and changed his professional name in his early teens, in part in homage to the singer Frankie Laine.
Why did Denny Laine change his name?
Laine changed his name because he felt “Brian Frederick Hines and the Diplomats. wouldn’t work”, instead taking the surname of his sister’s idol, the singer Frankie Laine.
The first name Denny came from the fact that at the time “everyone had a backyard, and a den to hang out. I think I got that nickname there. Laine worked with a variety of artists and groups over a six-decade career and continued to record and perform as a solo artist.
Laine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues. At the same time, Laine recorded two singles as a solo artist, both released on the Deram label: “Say You Don’t Mind” b/w “Ask the People” (April 1967) and “Too Much in Love” b/w “Catherine’s Wheel” (January 1968).
