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Freedoms Children Family Tree

The Roots and Branches of the Legends Of South African Rock

"...past tribal fence and family tree..." - Ramsay MacKay, 1970


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              LEEMEN LTD (1965) formed in Durban                                            THE BEATHOVENS (1965)
              ------------------------------------------------                              --------------------------------
              |        |         |        |         |        |                              |           |        |         |        
            JOHN H   RICHARD   "DOC"    KENNY     JIMMY    BRIAN                          RAMSAY       GARY    ANGELO     others
            STONE      LEE     WATSON   HENSON   THOMPSON ALDERSON                        MACKAY      DEMMER GIAI-MINIETTI
             bass     vocals   drums    guitar   keyboards keyboards                      bass        guitar   guitar
                                          |         |        |                              |           |        |
                                          |         |        +-----> ABSTRACT TRUTH (1971)  +-----------+--------+
                                          |         |                                       |
                      +-------------------)---------+                                       LEHMAN LTD (1965)
                      |  +----------------+                                                 -----------------------------------------------------
                      |  |                                                                  |           |          |          |        |        |
                      |  |                                                                 NIC        COLIN      RAMSAY      MICK     GARY    ANGELO
                      |  |                                                               MARTENS     PRATLEY     MACKAY      JADE    DEMMER GIAI-MINIETTI
                      |  |                                                              keyboards     drums       bass      vocals    guitar   guitar,
                      |  |                                                                  |           |          |                          mouth harp
                      |  |      +-----------------------------------------------------------+-----------+          |
                      |  |      |                                                                                  |
  NEVADAS             |  |      THE NAVARONES (1965)              after Colin                                      |
  ----------          |  |      -------------------------------- - - - - - -                                       |
  |        |          |  |      |         |         |          |           |                                       |
JULIAN   OTHERS       |  |     NIC      COLIN     JOHNNY     DAVE        BRIAN                                     |
LAXTON                |  |    MARTENS  PRATLEY   PATTERSON PATTERSON    BRENTON                                    |
guitars               |  |    keyboards drums     vocals     bass        drums                                     |
  |                   |  |      |         |                                                                        |
  |                   |  +------+---------+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  |                   |                   |
  THEM                |               FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1966) "Freedom Sweet" was also suggested. Recorded as
  ------------------  |         -------------------------------  "Fleadom's Children" to avoid complications!                          
  |        |       |  |         |         |         |         |                          
JULIAN    IVOR  OTHERS|       KENNY     RAMSAY     NIC      COLIN           
LAXTON    BACK        |      HENSON     MacKAY    MARTENS  PRATLEY          
guitars   drums       |      guitar      bass     keyboards drums
  |        |          |         |         |         |         |
  |        V          +---------+---------+---------)---------+
  |       HAWK                            |         +------------------+ 
  |                                       |                            |
  MEL, MEL & JULIAN (1965)            FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1966)         |        THE GONKS (1965)           
  -------------------           -------------------------------        |        ----------------------------------------
  |        |        |           |         |         |         |        |        |        |         |         |         |
 MEL    JULIAN     MEL        KENNY     RAMSAY     JIMMY    COLIN      |       CRAIG   BARRY     HOWARD    MERVYN    PETER
GREEN   LAXTON   MILLER      HENSON     MacKAY    THOMPSON PRATLEY     |       ROSS    CLINE    SCHACHAT  GERSHANOV  GILDER
vocals, guitar   vocals      guitar      bass     keyboards drums      |       vocals  bass      guitar    guitar    drums 
guitar     |        |           |         |                   |        |        |
           +--------)-----------+---------+-------------------+--------)--------+ 
                    |                     |                            +-----+
                    V                 FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1967)               |
                 comedian       --------------------------------------       |
                                |         |         |        |       |       |
                              KENNY    RAMSAY     JULIAN   COLIN   CRAIG     | Via Noel McDermott's Band (1966)
                             HENSON    MacKAY     LAXTON  PRATLEY  ROSS      |  and John E Sharpe's Blues Band (1967)
                             guitar     bass      guitar   drums   keyboards |
                                |         |         |        |               |
                                |         +---------+--------+               |                                           
              +-----------------+         |                                  |
              |           +---------------)----------------------------------+
              |           |               |
              |           |           FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1968)                                                         
              |           |     ------------------------------- - - - - -                                  
              |           |     |         |         |         |         |       Harry Poulos played          
              |           |  JULIAN     RAMSAY     COLIN    HARRY      MIKE     in Four Jacks and a Jill
              |           |  LAXTON     MacKAY    PRATLEY   POULOS     FAURE    and Privilege in 1967-68
              |           |  guitar      bass      drums  keyboards    sax 
              |           |     |         |         |         |
              |           |     |         |         |         +--------> OTIS WAYGOOD briefly in 1970    
              |           +-----+---------+---------+                                                             
              | via ABSTRACT TRUTH        |                                                     
              |  (1970), DADDY        FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1968-69) Battle Hymn of the Broken Hearted Horde                       
              | LONGLEGS (1972, ------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         THE A-CADS, THE BATS,
              |  London)        |         |         |         |          |          |        |         |         |         also played on 'King
              |              JULIAN     RAMSAY     COLIN     NIC       BRIAN     DENNIS    STEVIE    PETER     PETE <----+ of the Axe-Grown Maker'
              |              LAXTON     MacKAY    PRATLEY   MARTENS  DAVIDSON   ROBERTSON van KERKEN  VEE      CLIFFORD    album by Colin Pratley's
              |              guitar      bass      drums   keyboards   vocals     vocals   vocals    vocals    guitar      GRUNGANC FLERC in 1969     
              |                 |         |         |         |          |          ^        |                                                                                  
              |                 |         |         |         |          |          |        +------------------> married "Mutt" Lange, joined Hocus,
              |                 |         |         |         |          |          +-------ITS A SECRET (1967)   later joined Night in UK with Chris Thompson
              |                 +---------+---------+---------+ - - - - -+                           
              |                           |                                                   
              |                       FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1970) Astra              THE GLACIERS,
              |       - - - - - -----------------------------------------         GRUNGANC FLERC,
              |       |         |         |         |         |         |         FRUITS OF LOOM,
              |    GERARD    JULIAN     RAMSAY     COLIN     NIC      BRIAN       COLOURED RAIN
              |      NEL     LAXTON     MacKAY    PRATLEY  MARTENS   DAVIDSON <---------+
              |    keyboards guitar      bass      drums   keyboards  vocals
              |                 |         |         |         |         | via PIG
              |      +----------)---------+         +---------)---------+           
              |      |          |                   |         |                                                                                
              |      |          +---------+---------+         +------------------+
              |      |                    |                                      |
              |      |                FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1971) Galactic Vibes    |   
              |      |          ------------------------------                   | Laxton, Irwin & Pratley played on 3 tracks on 
              |      |          |         |         |        |                   |  Dickie Loader's "A Breath Of Fresh Air" LP (1970)
              |      |       JULIAN     BARRY     COLIN    BRIAN                 | 
              |      |       LAXTON     IRWIN    PRATLEY  DAVIDSON               |  
              |      |       guitar      bass     drums    vocals                |
              |      |          |                   |        |                   |
              |      |  +-------+         +---------+--------+-------------------+
              |      |  |                 |
              |      |  |             FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1973) recorded 'State Of Fear' single
              |      |  |       -----------------------------------------
              |      |  |       |         |         |        |          |
              |      |  |    TREVOR     RONNIE    COLIN    BRIAN       NIC
              |      |  |    RABIN      ROBOT    PRATLEY  DAVIDSON   MARTENS
              |      |  |    guitar      bass     drums    vocals    keyboards
              |      |  |       V         V         |        |
              |      |  |     RABBITT   RABBITT     |        |                             
              |      |  |                           |        |                                             
              +------+--)-----------------+---------+        +----------------------------+ 
          +-------------+                 |                                               |
          |                               |                                               |
     HAWK (1972-73)               COLLINSON McBRIAN (1975-76)                             |
   -----------------            ------------------------------                            |
   |       |       |            |         |         |        |                            |
 OTHERS  DAVE   JULIAN        KENNY    RAMSAY     COLIN    BRIAN                          |
       ORNELLAS LAXTON        HENSON   MacKAY    PRATLEY   FINCH                          |
        vocals  guitar        guitar    bass      drums    guitar                         |
                   |            |         |         |        |                            |
     solo, <-------+            +---------+---------+        +-------> FINCH & HENSON     |
   jingles,                               |                            (see below)        |
  production,                             |                                               |
     etc                KENNY HENSON'S HARAMBEE (1978)                   ELEPHANT (69),   |
                     -----------------------------------------       ABSTRACT TRUTH (70), LANCASTER BAND (1978-1981) Cape Town Comic Strip Heroes (1981)
                     |          |         |         |        |             HAMMAK (72)    -----------------------------------------------------------
                   OTHERS     KENNY    RAMSAY     COLIN    GEORGE            |            |   then  |        |  then   |        |         |         |
                              HENSON   MacKAY    PRATLEY  WOLFAARDT <--------+          BRIAN      SIMON   ROBIN     GARTH    ROBIN     HARRY     HOWARD
                              guitar    bass,     drums     bass                       DAVIDSON   COLTON   AULD     HITCHENS LANCASTER LANCASTER  BUTCHER
                                |      vocals       |        |                          vocals    vocals   guitar    guitar   guitar     drums     bass
                                |        |          |        +--------> NEILL SOLOMON'S   |                  |                         (see below)
                        via     |        |          |                   UPTOWN RHYTHM DOGS|                  |
                      FINCH &   |        |          |                      (1981)         |                  +-----> Solo
                      HENSON    |        |          |                                     |
                      (77-82),  |        |          |                                     | 
                      BORSTAL   |  +-----+     WILDEBEEST (1981) Bushrock 1               THE COUNCIL (1983-86) released Rising on Mountain Records (1984)
                      BOYS (79) |  |       ----------------------------------            -------------------------------------------
                                |  |        |       |        |        |      |            |          |          |         |        |
                                |  |      COLIN    PIET    DAVE     BOET   KARLIEN      BRIAN     KEVIN       JOCK       DAVE     PHIL
                                |  |     PRATLEY   BOTHA   TARR    FARBER  v NIEKERK   DAVIDSON  SHIRLEY      LAING     LeWARNE   SMITH
                                |  |      drums    bass    violin  guitar   vocals      vocals    guitar      bass       drums    vocals,
                                |  |        |       |        |                            |          |                    |       keyboards
                                |  |        |       |        |                            |          +------> Producing   +---------> BLUES BROERS, 
                                |  |        +-------)--------+                            |                   in Australia,           BACK ON TRACK
                                |  |        |       |                                     |                    then USA               (with PAUL JARVIS)
                                |  |        |       +---> JACK HAMMER                     |                                                                                                                            
                                |  |        |                                             |
                        +-------+  +--------+---------------------------------------------+
                        |                   |
                        |         RAMSAY MacKAY (1982) The Suburbs Of Ur
                        |       ------------------------ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
                        |       |           |          |          |           |           |    
                        |     RAMSAY      COLIN       DAVE      BRIAN      TREVOR      OTHERS 
                        |     MacKAY     PRATLEY      TARR     DAVIDSON    RABIN
                        |     vocals,     drums      violin,    vocals     guitar
                        |     guitars                 sax         |           |
                        |       |                                 |           |
                        +-------+---------+-----------------------+           +---- >Yes (Yes, that Yes!)
                                          |
     FULL TILT (1989-1993)         FREEDOMS CHILDREN (1996) Mummies (unreleased)
     ----------------           ------------------------------- - - - - - - - - -
     |       |      |           |         |         |        |         |        |
  JIMMY RAY NIC    OTHERS     KENNY    RAMSAY     BRIAN  JONATHAN    BRUCE    KOBUS       
   HAWLA   DE BRUYN           HENSON   MacKAY   DAVIDSON  NEAVES   MUIRHEAD van TONDER       
   guitar  vocals,            guitar,   bass,    vocals   drums      bass    keyboards 
     |     guitar            keyboards  vocals,     |
     |   (see below)            |       guitar      |
     |                          |         |         |
     |                          |         +---------)---> the fumes (UK) with Henry Dennis, later The Fumes From Mars. Ramsay passed away 4 December 2018
     |                       +--+                   | 
     WILD GOOSE (1998-2000)  |           THE BRIAN DAVIDSON BAND (1998) re-recorded '1999' -
     ----------------------  |   --------------------------------       released on 'Cape Town Vibes'
     |         |          |  |   |       |          |           |       CD in 1998  
  JIMMY RAY  BRIAN      TOBY | STEVEN  RUSSELL     BRIAN     MURRAY
   HAWLA    O'DONNELL  TYLER | HUNTLEY de VILLIERS DAVIDSON  ANDERSON
  vocals,    drums     bass, | guitar   drums      vocals    bass
  guitar       |      vocals |                      |           
     |         |  (see below)|                      |
     +---------+-------------)-----------+----------+             
                             |           |
                             |           KING RAT (2000) Cape Town
                             |           --------------------------------
                             |           |         |          |         | 
                             |      JIMMY RAY    BRIAN      BRIAN      JOHN  
                             |        HAWLA     O'DONNELL  DAVIDSON   McWILLIAMS
                             |        vocals,    drums      vocals,    bass
                             |        guitar       |        guitar      |
                             |           |         |          |         |
                             |           +---------+----------)---------+
                             |           |                    |
     +-----------------------)-----------+                    |
     |                       |                                |
     |                       |           +--------------------+
     |                       +------+    |
     WILD GOOSE (2000)              |    LIVE WIRE BLUES BAND (2000) Cape Town
     ------------------------       |    -------------------------------------------
     |          |           |       |    |         |          |         |          |
  JIMMY RAY   BRIAN       JOHN      |   JOHN     DAVID       BRIAN    HARRY      SIMON
   HAWLA     O'DONNELL  McWILLIAMS  |   PAYNE   FLETCHER    DAVIDSON LANCASTER  SWANICH
   vocals,    drums       bass      |   guitar   bass        vocals    drums     keys,
   guitar                           |                         V         |        guitar
     |                              |                       moved to    |
     |                              |                       Thailand    |                          
     WILD GOOSE (2001)              |                       to teach    +-------> JAMROCK, LANCASTER BAND (reformed 2005)
     ------------------------       |                       English. 
     |          |           |       |                       Passed away
  JIMMY RAY   BRIAN       TOBY      |                       4 Dec 2002.
   HAWLA     O'DONNELL    TYLER     |   
   vocals,    drums       bass,     |   
   guitar                 vocals    |
     |          |           |       |
     +----------+-----------+       +-----------+
     |                                          |
     OPEN SEASON (2002)                         FINCH & HENSON reunion tour 2002
     ----------------------------------         -------------------
     |          |           |         |         |        |        |
  JIMMY RAY   BRIAN       TOBY      BRENDA     BRIAN   KENNY    JOHAN <-------from Namibia
   HAWLA     O'DONNELL    TYLER     vocals     FINCH   HENSON  "SWARTSIE" 
   vocals,    drums       bass,                vocals, guitar   SWART
   guitar                 vocals               guitar    |       bass
     |                                          |        |
     FULL TILT reunion (2003)                   |        |
     ------------------------                   +--------+
     |          |           |                   |
  JIMMY RAY   NICKY       OTHERS                |
   HAWLA     DE BRUYN                           |
   vocals,    vocals,                           |
   guitar     guitar                            |
     |                                          |
     +----> passed away January 2005            | 
                                                |
                                                FINCH & HENSON tour June/July 2005
                                                -----------------
                                                |               |
                                              BRIAN           KENNY
                                              FINCH           HENSON
                                              vocals,         guitar
                                              guitar            | 
                                                V               +---- > Passed away 24th May 2007
                                     Passed away 20th May 2019    



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