The first three guest acts have been announced for a historic show this summer as Jeff Lynne’s ELO take to the Great Oak Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park for their final ever performance. They will be joined on Sunday 13 July by Californian rock legends The Doobie Brothers, iconic songwriter and guitarist Steve Winwood and composer and songwriter Dhani Harrison.
Tickets have already sold out for the show which will see one of Britain’s best-loved bands put on a spectacular finale for Jeff Lynne’s ELO, which was founded 55 years ago in Birmingham.
“My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014”, explains Jeff Lynne. “It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. We couldn’t be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ‘we’re gonna do it One More Time!'”
The Doobie Brothers (Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, John McFee and Michael McDonald) will bring good-times rock and roll to Hyde Park with instantly recognisable hits including ‘Takin’ It to the Streets’, ‘What a Fool Believes’, ‘Listen to the Music’, ‘Black Water’ and ‘China Grove‘.
Born out of Northern California’s chaotic, late-1960s musical stew, The Doobie Brothers’ rugged and authentic approach to music made them biker bar stalwarts. But their self-titled debut album in ’71 went beyond just leather and motorcycles, revealing even more musical layers; sweet three-part harmonies and rootsy, introspective, acoustic flavors. Their legacy has been built upon not just hit records, but also an unrivaled commitment to musical integrity and a steadfast allegiance to their enthusiastic fan base.
The Doobie Brothers, who will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2025 and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, have won four Grammy Awards and sold more than 48 million records worldwide (including three multi-platinum, seven platinum, and 14 gold albums). Their 1976 Best of the Doobies has sold more than 12 million copies, earning rare RIAA Diamond status. The Doobie Brothers will release new studio album WALK THIS ROAD in June.
Singer-songwriter, legendary vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, producer, Grammy winner and BMI Icon Steve Winwood has sold more than 50 million records in the course of his five-decade career. His compositions include ‘Gimme Some Lovin”, ‘Back In The High Life Again’, ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’ and ‘Arc Of A Diver’.
After bursting to prominence in 1963, at the age of 15, with the Spencer Davis Group, he co-founded Traffic, as well as Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. As a session player throughout his career he has contributed to landmark recordings by Jimi Hendrix (Voodoo Chile), The Who (Tommy), James Brown (Gravity), George Harrison (Dark Horse, George Harrison), Tina Turner (Break Every Rule), Billy Joel (The Bridge), Christina Aguilera (Back To Basics), Paul Weller (Stanley Road) and many, many more.
Winwood is a recipient of the Ivor Novello Outstanding Song Collection, the BMI Icon Award, the Musicians Union Classic Rock Award, The Nashville Symphony Harmony Award, and has been nominated for 11 Grammys, winning two. Traffic were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004, and the following year, Steve was honored for his “enduring influence on generations of music makers” by BMI.
Among countless memorable London performances, he played at the Golden Jubilee commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2002.
Multi-Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, and artist Dhani Harrison has enjoyed a career spanning the musical spectrum.
Harrison released his debut album, IN///PARALLEL, in 2017 and was dubbed by Rolling Stone as a “psychedelia-tinged journey into modern-day disconnect“. His second solo album, INNERSTANDING, followed in 2023, featuring collaborations with the likes of Graham Coxon (Blur), Liela Moss (The Duke Spirit) and Mereki. MOJO magazine lauded the album in its review, reporting: “INNERSTANDING finds Harrison marking out his own territory, sustaining a brooding musical atmosphere and filling it with sterling melodies.” With Spill saying: “Harrison has definitely created a masterpiece with this album. INNERSTANDING is brilliant, from the stark front sleeve to the sounds found on the record.“