Bill Legend (born William Fifield, 8 May 1944 in Barking, Essex) was the drummer for glam rock band T.Rex during their most successful period.
One of three children, Fifield worked as a commercial artist after leaving school, while playing the drums for a variety of bands. He was drumming under his real name for a group called Legend, fronted by Mickey Jupp, when Marc Bolan, the man behind the new-found success of T. Rex, spotted him and asked producer Tony Visconti to approach him.
Fifield agreed to give it a try and immediately bought a number of the old T.Rex albums from their days as Tyrannosaurus Rex in order to familiarise himself with Bolan's previous work. At the time, T.Rex had enjoyed their first hit singles with "Ride a White Swan" and "Hot Love". Bolan and his percussionist Mickey Finn had already recruited a bassist in Steve Currie but still needed a drummer to complete the rhythm section of their new electric direction. Finn had been forced to mime playing the drums on Top of the Pops when Hot Love was at No. 1.
Legend was given his stage name by Bolan, who suggested the new name, based on the band he had been playing in.
Legend played drums for T.Rex until 1973, when the band began to disintegrate after the hits dried up. They had enjoyed four UK No. 1 singles and four UK No. 2 singles in a three year period. Legend reverted to session drumming afterwards.
Bolan (in 1977) and Currie (in 1981) both died in car crashes, Steve Peregrin Took choked to death in 1980, and Finn succumbed to illness in 2003.
As of 2008, Legend is the only surviving member of the 1970-1973 T.Rex lineup. He has seven children and lives in Chelmsford, Essex.
Bill Legend has a brother David,who currently works as a woodwork teacher in Tauranga Boys' College, New Zealand.
Bill also plays drums regularly at Elim Christian Centre, Chelmsford, Essex.
Bill Legend's homepage, where he tells about his years with T. Rex: [1]
He has a sister, Eileen, who lives in Pitsea Essex. His father is still living and re-married three years ago at the grand age of 86.
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