Uriah Heep is a British rock band formed in 1969 in London, England, who took their name from a character in
Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield. The band's first line-up was formed when producer
Gerry Bron invited keyboardist
Ken Hensley (formerly of
The Gods and
Toe Fat) to join the members of Spice. The group gained worldwide fame in 1971-1973 with the albums 'Look at Yourself', 'Demons and Wizards' and 'The Magician's Birthday', which are considered hard rock classics.
Uriah Heep created their own original version of hard rock, saturating it with elements of prog, art, jazz rock and heavy metal. The trademark of their style were spectacular backing vocals with complex multi-part harmonies and dramatic vocals by
David Byron. Uriah Heep's stylistic experiments were essential for the development of rock music.
The line-up of Uriah Heep has changed several times, but the quintet is considered "classic":
Mick Box,
David Byron,
Ken Hensley,
Gary Thain and
Lee Kerslake.