Wilfred Gibson (28 February 1942 – 21 October 2014) In 1970, Gibson played lead violin on Centipede's 1970 album Septober Energy. The following year, he gave multiple contributions to King Crimson's fourth studio album Islands. He played violin in a small orchestra which performed "Prelude - Song of the Gulls", of which he was practically the leader, due to the fact that band leader and composer of the track Robert Fripp was less than qualified as an orchestral conductor (even to the extent of using a pencil as the baton). He also added violin in other places such as on the opening track "Formentera Lady". Despite his contributions, he went uncredited.
With Electric Light Orchestra
In 1972, Gibson replaced original ELO violinist Steve Woolam and performed in their first live concert at the Greyhound Pub in Croydon, Surrey. Gibson then played the violin on the ELO II album, including on their cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven", which became a top ten hit in the UK in September 1973.
However, by 1973, he had begun to be gradually replaced by Mik Kaminski, who played violin on much of the first side of ELO's 1973 LP On the Third Day. Still, Gibson was able to play on the tracks "Showdown", "Daybreaker", "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle", "Dreaming of 4000," and the band's cover of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King", as well as the various interludes in between tracks.
After this album, Gibson's time in ELO came to an end. After leaving the group, Gibson declined an invitation to join King Crimson as a replacement for violinist David Cross. He contributed to the Hothouse Flowers album Home (1990), and to The Beloved's Happiness (1995) as well as appearing on the Oasis hit "Whatever".
Death
Gibson died in 2014 after a short illness.