John Glascock (2 May 1951 - 17 November 1979) was the bass guitarist for the rock band Jethro Tull from December 1975 until August 1979. He died in 1979, at the age of 28, as a result of a congenital heart defect.

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Career

Glascock joined Jethro Tull after having played in Carmen - a British-American band that blended progressive rock with flamenco - from 1973 until 1975, when the band broke up.

Before Carmen, John Glascock had played with The Juniors (1962 - 1964), The Gods (Early 1965 - June 1967, September 1967 - February 1969), Head Machine (1970), Toe Fat (June 1969 - December 1970) and Chicken Shack (January 1971 - March 1972).

He played on the Jethro Tull albums Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses, Live - Bursting Out, and Stormwatch.

Glascock replaced longtime friend of Ian Anderson, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond. He also played electric guitar on-stage when Anderson's arrangement required it, as for instance in performances of "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)" when the rest of the band was playing xylophone, glockenspiel and percussion.

Glascock's health problems became apparent when he was unable to perform on the Heavy Horses tour, missing a transatlantic simulcast from Madison Square Garden. Despite the diagnosis of heart valve damage caused by an infection, he continued his previous lifestyle, which involved heavy drinking and wild parties. His health continued to deteriorate. Ian Anderson gave him several warnings before finally laying him off with pay during the production of Stormwatch, completing most of the bass guitar parts himself. During the subsequent promotional tour with replacement bass player Dave Pegg, Anderson learned of Glascock's death and had to break the news to the rest of the band. Glascock's close friend Barriemore Barlow was devastated. He left the band at the end of the tour. The resulting dislocation, Ian Anderson's own artistic vision, and a decision from the label, prompted a complete overhaul of the lineup, leaving only Anderson and Martin Barre as full members.

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