John Coghlan was the original drummer with Status Quo from the very early beginings in 1962 performing as The Scorpions, The Spectres and Traffic Jam.
After a number of failed releases on the Piccadilly label it was eventually in January 1968 that The Status Quo had their first major hit with Pictures Of Matchstickmen released by PYE Records. Following this the band entered a period of artistic uncertainty and mixed commercial success which lasted for four years before the band then received the level of success that many bands could only dream of.
In 1972 a new deal was struck with the Vertigo label. What followed the release of their breakthrough album Piledriver in 1973 was a string of Number One albums and Hit Singles. The band went from strength to strength with World Tours throughout the 1970's and beyond into the 1980's.
In the autumn of 1981 work began on what was to eventually become the 20th Anniversary album 1+9+8+2. However, during the early recording stages john decided to leave Status Quo. By 1983 after a spell of inactivity John was briefly involved in a new band known as Stranger. This was hoped to be a full-time venture but never got beyond the rehearsal stage. Later that same year John teamed up with Phil Lynott, Roy Wood and Chas Hodges to release a single on CBS Records. The band was quite simply called Rockers.
Following on from the Rockers project, John decided to reform his Diesel Band which included regulars Jackie Lynton, Bob Young and Micky Moody. The most notable appearance probably being the now legendary performance on 9th July 1985 at the Marquee Club where the band were joined onstage by both Alan Lancaster and Rick Parfitt. During this period John also played drums for a new band called Partners In Crime. In the band's brief existence three singles and the Organised Crime album were released.
The early nineties saw John performing once more with original Quo bass player/vocalist Alan Lancaster as part of the Lancaster Bombers and also with Diesel.
In 1997 John had decided to revisit his past by forming John Coghlan's Quo. It was an oppurtunity for both old and new Quo fans to see John once more playing live the music that he is mostly associated with.
Around this time John also found the time to form a blues band with Noel Redding and Eric Bell. However, this project ended as Noel Redding sadly passed away in the spring of 2003.
In late 2003 John was invited to contribute drums to four songs on musically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Maartin Allcock's eclectic 'Serving Suggestion' Album released in 2004.
Despite having done virtually everything throughout his professional career, John still retains a strong desire for performing and can be seen playing with either "Blues Jug Band" the King Earl Boogie Band, John Coghlan's Quo (with State Of Quo) which is currently celebrating it's 10th Anniversary and more recently The John Coghlan Band featuring members of British boogie band Predatür.
February 2008 saw John reunited once more with original Quo Bass Guitarist Alan Lancaster to perform at the Bon Scott Memorial Concert in Claremont in Western Australia.
During the summer there were further Quo reunions when John was invited by Status Quo to join them at Tetbury on 22nd June.
The autumn of 2008 will see John in a new show entitled "An Audience with John Coghlan" where there will be a unique insight into John's career followed by a live performance of classic Quo songs.
