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{{Short description|EnglishBritish singerrock vocalist (born 1951)}}
 
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=January 2015}}
{{lead too short|date=June 2018}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
 
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Biff Byford
| image = Biff Byford 2016 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Byford in 2016
| birth_name = Peter Rodney Byford
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|01|15}}
| birth_place = [[HonleySkelmanthorpe]], England
| genre = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]], [[hard rock]]
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1970–present
| current_member_of = [[Saxon (band)|Saxon]]
| label =
| current_member_ofpast_member_of = [[Saxon (band)|Saxon]], = [[Avantasia]]
}}
 
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== Early life ==
Byford was born in [[HonleySkelmanthorpe]], [[West Yorkshire]], the youngest of four children to Ernest Charles and Irene Byford. He has a brother, a half-sister from his father's side, Enid, who is 20 years older than him and a half-brother Michael from his mother.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saxon747.com/download/excerpt-1.pdf|title=Never Surrender (Or Nearly Good Looking). An Autobiography By Biff Byford And John Tucker|last=Byford|first=Biff|date=27 October 2019|website=Saxon747.com}}</ref>
 
Byford was just 11 years old when his mother died. "Being so young," he says, "it was a crushing blow. But that, I think, is when that will to survive was built in."
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== Career ==
[[File:SAXON - Biff Byford & Steven Dobby Dawson.jpg|thumb|Byford (left) and [[Steve Dawson]] with Saxon in 1981]]
He was taught to play guitar by his best friend's brother, who led a local blues group. Byford switched to bass, and passed through various bands in the [[Barnsley]] area. His first appearance on an album was in 1971 when he played flute<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/saxon-frontman-biff-byford-on-yorkshire-metallica-and-rock-n-roll|title=Saxon frontman Biff Byford on Yorkshire, Metallica and rock'n'roll|last=ElliottT07:00:00.187ZElliott|first=Paul|website=Classic Rock Magazine|date=6 July 2016|language=en|access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref> and wrote a few of the songs on the self titled debut album by psychedelic rockers Jumble Lane, a Holyground Records release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Jumble-Lane-Jumble-Lane/release/3123420|title=Jumble Lane – Jumble Lane|website=Discogs|date=28 October 1971 |language=en|access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref> He started singing backing vocals when he joined the Iron Mad Wilkinson Band, named after a local industrialist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/at-homes-with-saxon|title=At Homes With Saxon|last=Elliott|first=Paul |date=2 March 2013|website=Classic Rock Magazine|language=en|access-date=27 October 2019}}</ref>
 
Byford sang and played bass with a local power trio called Coast from around 1973 to 1976 along with drummer Al Dodd and future Saxon guitarist Paul Quinn,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.decibelgeek.com/chat-steve-dobby-dawson-oliverdawson-saxon-interview/|title=A Chat With STEVE Dobby DAWSON of Oliver/Dawson Saxon (Interview)|date=1 March 2017|website=Decibel Geek|language=en-US|access-date=1 April 2020}}</ref> when he formed Saxon with guitarists Graham Oliver and Paul Quinn, bassist [[Steve Dawson]] and former [[The Glitter Band|Glitter Band]] drummer [[Pete Gill]]. The band was originally called Son of a Bitch, but changed to Saxon in 1978. They released their [[Saxon (album)|self-titled debut album]] in 1979, and became part of what was known as the [[new wave of British heavy metal]], which also included bands like [[Iron Maiden]], [[Demon (band)|Demon]] and [[Def Leppard]]. The band had commercial success as well, charting eight consecutive UK [[Top 40]] albums and five Top 40 [[single (music)|singles]] between 1980 and 1986.
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In April 2007, Byford released his autobiography, entitled ''Never Surrender'' after the Saxon song of the same name. [[Gigwise.com]] reported on 18 January 2010<ref>[http://www.gigwise.com/news/54196/Campaign-Launched-To-Get-Heavy-Metal-Recognised-As-A-Religion Campaign Launched To Get Heavy Metal Recognised As A Religion]. Gigwise (18 January 2010). Retrieved on 20 August 2012.</ref> that Byford was launching a campaign to have Britons declare heavy metal as their religion in the [[United Kingdom Census 2011]], inspired by the [[Jedi census phenomenon]] (where 2001 Census results suggested that [[Jediism]] was the UK's fourth most popular religion).
 
Byford released his first solo album, titled "School of Hard Knocks" – featuring guest appearances by [[Phil Campbell (musician)|Phil Campbell]], [[Alex Holzwarth]], [[NicholasNick Barker (drummer)|Nick Barker]], Dave Kemp and Nibbs Carter – in February 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/saxons-biff-byford-on-musical-direction-of-his-solo-album-its-mixed-in-all-sorts-of-styles-that-i-like/|title=SAXON's BIFF BYFORD On Musical Direction Of His Solo Album: 'It's Mixed In All Sorts Of Styles That I Like'|date=7 June 2019|website=Blabbermouth.net}}</ref>
 
On 23 July 2021, Byford released the album "Red Brick City" under the band name Heavy Water. The album features Biff on bass and vocals, his son Seb Byford on guitar and vocals, Tom Witts on drums, and Dave Kemp on keyboards and saxophone. Music videos were released for the title track ″Red"Red Brick City″City" on 7 May 2021 and ″Revolution″"Revolution" on 18 June 2021.<ref>{{cite web|title= Heavy Water Announce Debut Album 'Red Brick City'|date=24 June 2021|url=https://totalrock.com/heavy-water-announce-debut-album-red-brick-city/|access-date= 31 July 2021}}</ref> The album was recorded at The Big Silver Barn and Reel Recording Studio in [[York, UK|York]] during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns.<ref>{{cite web|title= Biff & Seb Byford's Heavy Water – Announce Debut Album "Red Brick City"|date=9 May 2021|url=https://metalplanetmusic.com/2021/05/biff-seb-byfords-heavy-water-announce-debut-album-red-brick-city-on-23rd-july-2021/|access-date= 31 July 2021}}</ref>
 
== Discography ==
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== Bibliography ==
* ''Never Surrender'', 2007
 
== References ==
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== External links ==
{{commonscat}}
* [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Biff-Byford/51662262338 Official Facebook page]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=6Cz2GAAACAAJ&dqq=%22Biff+Byford%22&as_brr=0 Never Surrender Google Books entry]
* [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2846758/ Biff Byford] at [[IMDb.com]]
{{Saxon}}
 
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Byford, Biff}}
[[Category:20th-century English male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]▼
[[Category:21st-century English male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English singers]]
[[Category:English rock singers]]
[[Category:English heavy metal singers]]
[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
▲[[Category:20th-century English singerssinger-songwriters]]
[[Category:Saxon (band) members]]
[[Category:People from HonleySkelmanthorpe]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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