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Robin Le Mesurier

Biography

Robin Mark Le Mesurier Halliley (22 March 1953 – 22 December 2021) was a British guitarist, known for his long collaborations with Rod Stewart and Johnny Hallyday, as well as for the wide-ranging nature of his musical performance, including membership of such bands as The Wombles.

Le Mesurier was the son of two of Britain's best-loved comedy actors, Hattie Jacques and John Le Mesurier. Le Mesurier gained a strong following during and after his appearance on Living TV's reality show Rehab (2009), in which he opened up about his battle with alcoholism.

Le Mesurier was educated at Sussex House School, where he described himself as being "completely out of place", and then Westminster City grammar school. This was also an unhappy experience and Le Mesurier would be teased about his famous mother. As a teenager he was offered a place at the Royal College of Music but turned it down.

In his prime, Le Mesurier was a fan of The Faces and of guitar stars Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Jeff Beck. His first official band was The Reign (whose first single was written by the Yardbirds members Keith Relf and Jim McCarty). The band lasted until 1973, then Le Mesurier became the guitarist of The Wombles, Mike Batt's novelty pop band that played his music for the British children's TV show The Wombles.

At the beginning of his collaboration with Rod Stewart, Le Mesurier was mainly a guitar technician and session musician. In 1976 he signed with a record company with which Rod Stewart was associated. He toured the United States with Air Supply in 1977 as the opening act for Rod Stewart. After a period with Lion, eventually renamed The Difference, he was invited in 1980 to join the Rod Stewart group.

In 1994, he recorded two tracks on French singer Johnny Hallyday's first English-language record Rough Town. He became Hallyday's musical director, besides founding the group Farm Dogs with Bernie Taupin and Jim Cregan.