Mick Box

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Mick Box
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Box performing in 2017
Background information
Born
Michael Frederick Box

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Walthamstow, east London, England
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GenresHard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal
OccupationTemplate:Pluralize from textGuitarist
Years active1964–present
Websitemick-box.net

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Michael Frederick Box (born 9 June 1947) is an English musician who is the lead guitarist of rock group Uriah Heep, having previously been a member of The Stalkers and Spice, both with original Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron.[1] He is the only member from the band's founding in 1969 who is still active with the group, and – following the deaths of Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley in 2020 – is also the last surviving member of the group's classic line-up.[2]

Early life

Mick Box was born in north London. His father was a carpenter.[3]

Career

Before establishing Uriah Heep, the band was called Spice. The band performed from 1968 to 1969 with David Byron and Nigel Pegrum.[4] Box said they chose that name because they didn't want to get categorised into a narrow genre. "There's lots of spices, and that was our train of thought with the name of the band" said Box in a 2021 interview. After Ken Hensley joined the members of Spice, they became Uriah Heep in 1970.[5]

When he started performing with Uriah Heep, other new bands included Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin.[6] The band would go on to be pioneers of prog rock and have sold over 40 million albums worldwide.[7][8]

Mick Box in Norway, 1977

During a gig in Kentucky in 1975, Box fell off the stage and into the pit orchestra, dislocating his left arm to the point his bone was sticking out (his arm was put back in place after the concert ended), he continued to perform and during the gig a nurse came on stage and looked at his arm; when the show ended Mick stepped to the front of the stage, bowed down, and fell down into the pit a second time, this time breaking his right wrist in four places.[3]

Box played guitar on David Byron's 1975 solo album Take No Prisoners and in 2002 with Bernie Shaw guest collaborated with the band Iris to perform the Uriah Heep song "Lady in Black".

With the deaths of Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley in 2020, Box became the last surviving member of the classic line-up of Uriah Heep.[9] In 2024, Box announced the band would go on a worldwide farewell tour that would last between two or three years and intended to go to as many places as possible.[9][10][9]

Personal life

Box lives in Palmers Green, north London with his fourth wife, Sheila.[11][3] He has a son, Romeo, born in 2000 or 2001.[11][3] Box's first marriage ended due to problems around him always away from home either in a recording studio or on tour.[3] He has previously lived in United States and Australia.[3] He is five feet six inches tall and in the 1970s wore high stack boots to appear taller.[12]

According to Box, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a 50th Anniversary Celebration, but he said that he was planning on a 52-year Celebration. He said he felt strange being in quarantine, because he was accustomed to being "on the road," and interacting with fans at concerts. He used the time to compose songs and produced some videos for the Lockdown Diaries.[5]

Mick stated that the deaths of Uriah Heep members Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley, who died within a few weeks of each other, affected him dearly: "I can try to explain it, with someone like Lee, we were brothers from different mothers, his health declined over a period of five years, but it was still a shock. But with Ken and John, they were gone in seconds. There was no build-up to it at all, so both were a complete shocker."[13]

"You start re-evaluating stuff, and I just thought, I'm going to keep my passion and spirit going here, because by doing so it allows their music to still be in focus. .[13]

Box claims to own over forty guitars.[12] He is an ambassador for the Nightingale Cancer Support Centre.[5][14][15]

Influences

Box said that he was influenced by Les Paul and Mary Ford, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow and Barney Kessel.[16] He attributes some of these influences to his first guitar instructor because he was the second guitarist for Django Reinhardt, as well as coming from a jazz background.[6]

Discography

With David Byron

With Uriah Heep

With Iris

With Spearfish

  • Back for the Future – 2003[18]

References

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  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (2002) The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music, Virgin Books, Template:ISBN, p. 468
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Parnell, Joel (4 February 2015). "MICK BOX – URIAH HEEP Interview". Desert Highways. Retrieved 1 September 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fortnampublished, Ian (27 April 2017). "Mick Box on why his journey with Uriah Heep isn't over yet". Louder. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ceriotti, Bruno (6 January 2011). "The British Sound: URIAH HEEP FAMILY TREE". Thebritishsound.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.O'Brien, Joe (12 September 2021). "An Interview with Mick Box of Uriah Heep". Vwmusicrocks.
  6. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sharma, Amit (7 September 2018). "Uriah Heep's Mick Box: "I try to stay away from the scales and just go with my heart"". Musicradar.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.KelownaNow. "Uriah Heep eager to show Okanagan fans they've still got it". KelownaNow. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Uriah Heep". BMG. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.blinder@pennlive.com, Brian Linder | (23 September 2024). "Legendary rock group announces farewell after 55 years of touring". pennlive. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Blabbermouth (19 September 2024). "URIAH HEEP Announces Farewell Tour: 'We Intend To Play As Many Places As Possible'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  11. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Uriah Heep: Mick Box Biography". www.lt-uriah-heep.ro. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Gary James' Interview With Mick Box of Uriah Heep". www.classicbands.com. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  13. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lawsonpublished, Dom (28 March 2023). "Uriah Heep's Mick Box: "I feel like I've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and not got a punch in"". Louder. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mick Box Uriah Heep 50th Anniversary". Mick-box.net. 2002–2021.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Mick Box Uriah Heep eonmusic Interview November 2021". eonmusic: music for life. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview with MICK BOX | DMME.net". dmme.net. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Guarisco, Donald A. (2023). "David Byron – Take No Prisoners Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. ALLMUSIC, NETAKTION LLC. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."SPEARFISH – All-Star Cover Album Featuring PAUL DI'ANNO, MICK BOX, MATS LEVEN and More Now Available on Spotify". bravewords.com. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

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