Glenn Cornick, Original Jethro Tull Bassist, Dead at 67
Glenn Cornick, the original bassist for Jethro Tull, passed away August 29 at his home in Hilo, Hawaii. He was 67. Billboard reports that Cornick died of congestive heart failure and had been receiving hospice care recently. Cornick was a founding member of Jethro Tull, appearing on their first three albums before departing the group in 1970.
“It is with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of Glenn Cornick, bass player with Jethro Tull from the band’s inception 1968 until 1970,” Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson wrote in his tribute to Cornick on the band’s official website. “Glenn was a man of great bonhomie and ready to befriend anyone – especially fellow musicians. Always cheerful, he brought to the early stage performances of Tull a lively bravado both as a personality and a musician… During the many years since then, Glenn continued to play in various bands and was a frequent guest at Tull fan conventions where he would join in with gusto to rekindle the musical moments of the early repertoire.”
While Jethro Tull’s revolving door lineups have boasted over 25 members, Cornick was one of the most memorable and impactful. Cornick’s tenure with the group started back when they were known as the John Evan Band in the mid-Sixties. That group eventually transformed into the Anderson-led Jethro Tull, with Cornick working on that band’s 1968 debut This Was, 1969’s Stand Up, and 1970’s Benefit and contributing the memorable bass lines to fan favorite tracks like “A Song for Jeffrey” and “Teacher.” The bassist is also seen alongside Anderson – and guitarist Tony Iommi, making his lone Tull appearance – in the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus film.
After parting ways with Jethro Tull during the rehearsals that eventually turned into Aqualung, Cornick started his own group called Wild Turkey. He’d later join the band Paris, a project spearheaded by former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch. Cornick was also a regular at Jethro Tull fan conventions and occasionally performed with Tull tribute bands.