Chris Wood (rock musician)

Chris Wood Born 24 June 1944(1944-06-24) Origin Birmingham, EnglandDied 12 July 1983(aged 39), Genre(s)rockOccupation(s) Musician Instrument(s)Tenor saxophone, Alto Saxophone, FluteYears active 1960s - 1980s Associated acts Traffic

For other people by this name, see Chris Wood.

Christopher Gordon Blandford 'Chris' Wood (born 24 June 1944, in Harborne, Birmingham – died 12 July 1983, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham) was a founding member of the English rock band Traffic along with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Mason. Wood primarily played flute and saxophone, occasionally contributing keyboards and vocals. Wood was also a co-writer for many of Traffic's songs.

In addition to working with Traffic, Chris Wood played with Jimi Hendrix in 1968, appearing on Electric Ladyland. While Winwood temporarily joined supergroup Blind Faith in 1969, Wood joined the Wynder K. Frogg project with Mason, Capaldi and Mick Weaver. He then went on to tour the United States with Dr. John where he met singer Jeanette Jacobs (formerly of 60s girl group The Cake), whom he married in 1969. Also in 1969, Chris appears on the second album of Free and can be heard in the song "Mourning Sad Morning".

Chris Wood rejoined Traffic when the group reformed in 1970. He remained with the band until its breakup in 1975. Battling with addictions to drugs and alcohol, Wood appeared on a number of albums during the late 1970s including John Martyn's Inside Out and on Small Faces The Autumn Stone.

While working on a solo album that was to be titled Vulcan, Chris Wood died in 1983 of pneumonia in Birmingham, England.