Complete List Of Mike And The Mechanics Band Members

Genesis bassist Mike Rutherford formed this English rock group in 1985 during a hiatus from his primary band, seeking musical expression through collaboration with talented vocalists rather than as a frontman. Mike + The Mechanics has released nine studio albums, produced multiple international hit singles including “The Living Years,” “Silent Running,” and “Over My Shoulder,” and sold over ten million records worldwide. The band achieved its biggest commercial success with “The Living Years,” which reached number one in the United States, number two in the United Kingdom, and earned four Grammy Award nominations in 1989.

The band’s formation came together during 1984 and 1985 when Rutherford collaborated with producer Christopher Neil to develop musical sketches into complete songs. The original lineup featured two vocalists, Paul Carrack and Paul Young, who shared lead vocal duties, keyboardist Adrian Lee, and drummer Peter Van Hooke. This dual-vocalist approach became a signature element of the band’s sound, with Carrack handling soulful ballads and Young delivering powerful rock performances. The band underwent significant changes in 1995 when Lee and Van Hooke departed, followed by Paul Young’s death in 2000 and Paul Carrack’s exit in 2004.

Mike Rutherford revived the band in 2010 with an entirely new lineup featuring vocalists Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar, maintaining the dual-vocalist tradition. The reformed group released The Road in 2011, followed by Let Me Fly in 2017 and Out of the Blue in 2019. The band completed a 44-date tour in 2025 called “Looking Back – Living The Years” to celebrate 40 years since their debut album. The band currently consists of Rutherford alongside Roachford and Howar, with touring musicians including drummer Nic Collins, son of Genesis drummer Phil Collins, who joined the band during their 2023 “Refueled! Tour.”

Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford founded Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 and has served as the band’s bassist, guitarist, and primary songwriter, a role he continues to hold to the present day. Rutherford is the only constant member throughout the band’s history, appearing on all nine studio albums, from the self-titled debut in 1985 to Out of the Blue in 2019. His contributions to the band include playing bass, guitar, and occasionally keyboards, while co-writing the majority of the band’s songs with collaborators including B.A. Robertson, Christopher Neil, and Paul Carrack.

Rutherford was born on October 2, 1950, in Guildford, Surrey, England, and co-founded Genesis in 1967 while attending Charterhouse School alongside Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips, and Chris Stewart. He initially served as Genesis’s bassist and backing vocalist but also performed most of the band’s rhythm guitar parts, frequently using twelve-string guitar. Following Steve Hackett’s departure from Genesis in 1977, Rutherford assumed the additional role of lead guitarist on studio albums beginning with …And Then There Were Three… in 1978. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

As a songwriter for Genesis, Rutherford wrote lyrics for some of the band’s biggest international hits including “Follow You Follow Me,” “Turn It On Again,” “Land of Confusion,” and “Throwing It All Away.” Prior to forming Mike + The Mechanics, he released two solo albums, Smallcreep’s Day in 1980 and Acting Very Strange in 1982, though he found the solo recording process excessively difficult and artistically unsatisfying, particularly regarding lead vocals. His work with Mike + The Mechanics allowed him to create music with strong vocalists while focusing on songwriting, instrumental performance, and production. Outside of music, Rutherford published his autobiography The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir in 2014 and maintains interests in equestrian sports including polo and dressage.

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 as one of the original two vocalists and keyboardist, remaining with the band until 1995, then returning from 2000 to 2004. Carrack appeared on the band’s first four studio albums, Mike + The Mechanics (1985), The Living Years (1988), Word of Mouth (1991), and Beggar on a Beach of Gold (1995), plus the compilation album Hits (1996). He returned for the band’s sixth album Rewired (2004), which featured him as the sole lead vocalist following Paul Young’s death. His vocal performances on Mike + The Mechanics’ biggest hits included “Silent Running,” “The Living Years,” and “Over My Shoulder,” which he also co-wrote, marking the first Mechanics hit he helped compose.

Born in Sheffield, England, Carrack first gained prominence as the vocalist and keyboardist for the band Ace, writing and singing their 1975 hit “How Long,” which reached number three in the United States and number twenty in the United Kingdom. After Ace disbanded in 1977, he worked as a backing musician for Frankie Miller and as a keyboardist for Roxy Music on their albums Manifesto, Flesh + Blood, and Avalon. In 1981, Glenn Tilbrook recruited Carrack to join Squeeze as a replacement for keyboardist Jools Holland, and Carrack achieved international success with Squeeze’s album East Side Story, providing lead vocals on their hit “Tempted.”

Carrack maintained an active solo career alongside his work with Mike + The Mechanics, releasing his breakthrough solo album One Good Reason in 1987, which featured the top ten hit “Don’t Shed a Tear.” He also collaborated with Roger Waters on the albums Radio K.A.O.S. (1987) and performed at The Wall – Live in Berlin in 1990, where he sang “Hey You” before a crowd of 250,000. Carrack co-wrote “Love Will Keep Us Alive” with Jim Capaldi and Peter Vale, which the Eagles recorded for their 1994 Hell Freezes Over album and which won an ASCAP award as the most-played song in the United States in 1995. He has worked as a session musician for numerous artists including The Smiths, Elton John, B.B. King, and Simply Red, and toured with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 2003. Carrack continues to maintain a successful solo touring career and remains active as an independent musician.

Paul Young

Paul Young joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 as one of the original two vocalists, remaining with the band until his death on July 15, 2000. Young appeared on the band’s first six studio albums, providing lead vocals on hit singles including “All I Need Is a Miracle,” “Word of Mouth,” “Taken In,” and “Nobody’s Perfect.” Mike Rutherford recruited Young on the recommendation of producer Christopher Neil and his manager, and Young’s powerful rock voice and wide vocal range were generally assigned to handle the band’s heavier songs while Paul Carrack’s soulful voice was assigned to ballads and more pop-oriented numbers. Young served as the band’s de facto frontman during live performances, bringing tremendous energy and stage presence to the group’s concerts.

Born on June 17, 1947, in the Wythenshawe district of Manchester, England, Young started his music career at age fourteen, forming the skiffle band Johnny Dark and the Midnights. His first significant break came in 1964 when he replaced vocalist Bob Smith in The Toggery Five, a band that included future Jethro Tull members Mick Abrahams and Clive Bunker. Young co-founded Sad Café in 1976 with Ian Wilson and members of Mandalaband, serving as the lead vocalist and percussionist for the band until they initially disbanded in the early 1980s. Sad Café achieved considerable success with their 1979 single “Every Day Hurts,” which Young co-wrote and which reached number three in the UK chart.

Young’s other hits with Sad Café included “Strange Little Girl,” “My Oh My,” “Run Home Girl,” and “La-Di-Da.” Following the success of Mike + The Mechanics, Young reunited with former Sad Café bandmate Ian Wilson to release the album Whatever It Takes in 1989, which proved to be the final Sad Café recording. Outside of Mike + The Mechanics, Young performed with Spike Edney’s live rock showcase group, The S.A.S Band, which featured Queen’s keyboardist. Young died suddenly from a heart attack at his home in Hale, Altrincham, England, on July 15, 2000, at age 53, leaving behind his wife Pat and three children. An autopsy revealed the heart attack was not his first. A tribute concert entitled “Forever Young” was held at the Manchester Apollo several months after his death, featuring performances from Mike + The Mechanics and a semi-reformed Sad Café.

Adrian Lee

Adrian Lee joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 as the band’s keyboardist, remaining with the group until 1995. Lee appeared on the band’s first four studio albums, contributing keyboards to hits including “Silent Running,” “All I Need is a Miracle,” “The Living Years,” and songs from Word of Mouth and Beggar on a Beach of Gold. Producer Christopher Neil recruited Lee to play on the first Mike + The Mechanics album, and Lee’s keyboard work became an integral part of the band’s sound during their most commercially successful period. Lee departed the band in 1995 as the introduction of MIDI software meant that many keyboard parts could be programmed, making his services less essential to the recording process.

Born on September 9, 1957, in London, England, Lee was first signed to Phonogram Records in the late 1970s as a guitarist with the band Red Hot, which released one single “L-L-Lazy Days” produced by Mutt Lange in 1976. Lee’s first major engagement led him to play guitar and keyboards on Cliff Richard’s late 1970s tours and his 1979 album Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile. In 1980, Lee became a member of the British new wave band Toyah, co-writing songs including the hit single “Thunder in the Mountains” and staying with the band until 1982. Lee released his only solo album The Magician in 1982 and continued writing for Toyah Willcox, appearing on her 1985 album Minx, for which he and Willcox wrote “Soldier of Fortune, Terrorist of Love.”

Lee continued to write, produce, and perform with other artists throughout his period with Mike + The Mechanics, including work on albums by Stephen Bishop, Joan Armatrading, Chris de Burgh, and 10cc, receiving credit as co-producer on 10cc’s 1995 album Mirror Mirror. After leaving Mike + The Mechanics, Lee relocated to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue work in film composition and scoring. He provided additional cues for the Oscar-winning film Training Day, arrangements for the DreamWorks animated feature Spirit, and composed scores for films including The Reckoning and The Medallion starring Jackie Chan. Lee also composed music for the CITV series The Ink Thief in 1994, a comedy science fiction thriller starring Richard O’Brien and Toyah Willcox, and has worked extensively as a film composer and music producer.

Peter Van Hooke

Peter Van Hooke joined Mike + The Mechanics in 1985 as the band’s drummer, remaining with the group until 1995. Van Hooke appeared on the band’s first four studio albums and the Hits compilation, providing drums and percussion on hit recordings including “Silent Running,” “All I Need is a Miracle,” “The Living Years,” and “Over My Shoulder.” Van Hooke briefly returned to work with the band during the recording of their 2004 album Rewired, serving not as an official member but as co-producer alongside performing drums and percussion on the album and its subsequent tour. Van Hooke departed the band in 1995 as Mike Rutherford wanted a more consistent presence and preferred real drums over the electronic drums that Van Hooke had been using.

Born on April 6, 1950, in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, Van Hooke attended Mill Hill School where his schoolmate Chaz Jankel, who later joined The Blockheads, lived nearby. The two formed The Call of The Wild, which became the Rik Parnell Independence featuring the son of bandleader Jack Parnell as vocalist. Van Hooke was the drummer for Van Morrison’s band from 1978 to 1984, playing on Morrison’s albums including Wavelength (1978), Into the Music (1979), Common One (1980), Beautiful Vision (1982), Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983), and the live album Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast (1984). Van Hooke was also one of the first UK drummers to own a set of Syndrums, initially coming to prominence on the Marshall Hain hit “Dancing in the City” in 1978.

During the 1980s, Van Hooke co-produced many of Tanita Tikaram’s hits along with Rod Argent and also worked as a session drummer for Chris de Burgh, appearing on his albums Into the Light (1986) and Flying Colours (1988). Van Hooke created and co-produced the internationally syndicated music television series Live from Abbey Road, which aired on Channel 4 between 2006 and 2009 in the United Kingdom and was ultimately broadcast in 27 countries and licensed in 112 territories worldwide. He co-produced his former Mike + The Mechanics bandmate Paul Carrack’s album A Different Hat in 2010, on which Carrack performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Van Hooke currently manages Paul Carrack and has established himself as a television and music producer, entrepreneur, and manager with over 350 credits to his name.

Andrew Roachford

Andrew Roachford joined Mike + The Mechanics in 2010 as one of two co-lead vocalists, a position he continues to hold to the present day. Roachford appeared on the band’s seventh, eighth, and ninth studio albums, The Road (2011), Let Me Fly (2017), and Out of the Blue (2019), sharing lead vocal duties with Tim Howar. Mike Rutherford recruited Roachford as part of his decision to revive the band after a six-year hiatus, seeking an R&B vocalist to complement a rock vocalist in the tradition of the original dual-vocalist lineup. Roachford contributes lead and backing vocals as well as keyboards to the band, and his soulful voice has been particularly suited to performing songs originally sung by Paul Carrack.

Born on January 22, 1965, in London, England, to parents of West Indian descent, Roachford grew up in a music-obsessed family that included his uncle Bill Roachford, a respected jazz saxophonist. Roachford formed his eponymous band in 1987 with Chris Taylor on drums, Hawi Gondwe on guitars, and Derrick Taylor on bass guitar, and by 1988 the band was touring as support for acts such as Terence Trent D’Arby and The Christians. Shortly afterward, the band signed a seven-album recording contract with Columbia Records and went on to have considerable success throughout the 1990s, becoming Columbia’s biggest-selling UK act for ten years.

Roachford achieved international recognition with the band’s 1989 hits “Cuddly Toy” and “Family Man” from their self-titled debut album, both of which received extensive radio play and chart success in the UK and internationally. The band released several successful albums including Get Ready, Permanent Shade of Blue, and Feel throughout the 1990s. Roachford released his first solo album Heart of the Matter in 2003, followed by Word of Mouth in 2005 under the band name Roachford, which included collaborations with producer Mousse T. Roachford has collaborated with various artists including providing vocals for Laurent Wolf’s “Survive” in 2010 and Mousse T.’s “Pop Muzak” in 2004. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 Birthday Honours for his services to music and continues to maintain both his solo career and his work with Mike + The Mechanics.

Tim Howar

Tim Howar joined Mike + The Mechanics in 2010 as one of two co-lead vocalists, a position he continues to hold to the present day. Howar appeared on the band’s seventh, eighth, and ninth studio albums, The Road (2011), Let Me Fly (2017), and Out of the Blue (2019), sharing lead vocal duties with Andrew Roachford. Mike Rutherford recruited Howar as part of the reformed lineup, seeking a rock vocalist to balance Roachford’s R&B style, and Howar’s powerful vocal range and theatrical background have brought a dynamic dimension to the band’s live performances. Howar divides his time between Mike + The Mechanics and his theatrical career, with his bandmates pursuing their own projects when not touring or recording.

Born on November 24, 1969, in Spirit River, Alberta, Canada, Howar began his performing career singing in the Alberta Youth Choir, the Centennial Singers, and Pro Coro Canada before joining Edmonton Musical Theatre. His dance career began at age 16, leading to an apprenticeship with Ballet North, though he declined a full scholarship to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet after deciding to pursue theatre and musical theatre. Howar made his professional theatre debut as the Artful Dodger in Oliver in Edmonton before gaining prominence in musical theatre with roles including Marius in Les Misérables on the US National Tour and in Toronto, the title role in The Who’s Tommy in Toronto and on Canadian tour, and Roger in the 10th anniversary Broadway production of Rent.

Howar has appeared in numerous West End productions including Peggy Sue Got Married at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Tonight’s the Night at the Victoria Palace Theatre, On the Town for the English National Opera at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and Rock of Ages. From September to December 2018 and May to September 2019, Howar played the role of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, a role he reprised in the European production in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2023. In 2018, Howar also played Freddie Trumper in the English National Opera’s production of Chess at the London Coliseum, and in 2022 he played Tateh in Theatre Calgary’s production of Ragtime. Howar is also active as a voiceover artist, vocal coach, and performance coach, working with clients worldwide including West End and Broadway performers. He was married to musical theatre performer Ruthie Henshall from 2004 to 2009, with whom he has two daughters, and married Musical Director Jodie Oliver in 2016, with whom he has one son.