He is a guitarist and singer-songwriter born Garth Philip Watt-Roy in Bombay (Mumbai), India who is the brother of the bassist Norman Watt-Roy. He has moved to England with his family by 1955 and settled in Highbury, North London, later moving to Essex.
By the time he was a teenagers he was proficient as a rhythm guitarist as well as providing back-up singing and he and his brother often appeared with local bands.
In 1967 they formed the band The Living Daylights and recorded a few singles including “Let’s Live For Today” for the label Philips Records before the group broke up. He and his brother formed The Greatest Show on Earth and released several albums and singles such as “Real Cool World”, “Tell the Story” and “Horizons – Parte I” between 1970 and 1972. His song “Magic Woman Touch” was originally recorded by The Greatest Show on Earth and later covered by The Hollies.
At the beginning of the 1970s the brothers performed with the band Glencoe and then Garth went out and worked with several bands that include East of Eden, The Marmalade and Steamhammer.
From the middle of the 1970s he saw himself performing and recording as a member of Bonnie Tyler’s backing band for a while before joining the band The Q-Tips.
As of the middle of the 1980s he was heard less and less in the recording studio but in the 1990s was seen to be working on other music projects. In the 2000s he performed lead guitar with bands on the nostalgia circuit.
Albums he has performed on include Another Eden by East of Eden, Fuzzy Duck by Fuzzy Duck, The Going’s Easy by The Greatest Show on Earth, Silver Eagle by Limey, Classic Rock – The Second Movement by The London Symphony Orchestra, The Only Light On My Horizon Now by The Marmalade, Q-Tips by The Q-Tips, To Be Or Not To Be by B.A. Robertson, Speech by Steamhammer, Goodbye To The Island by Bonne Tyler and The Psychedelic Snarl and Mixed Up Minds Part Six by Various Artists along with many others.
The Marmalade recordings
Falling Apart at the Seams (Tony Macaulay)
Target (TGT 105) UK single
Sources:
- https://musicianbio.org/garth-watt-roy/
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/garth-watt-roy-mn0001613930
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/970728-Garth-Watt-Roy?page=3
- https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/garth_watt_roy/credits/
- https://www.soundhound.com/?ar=200078854612540454
- http://www.rickresource.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=66175
- https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/165148