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“The band that knocked me over was the Mahavishnu Orchestra.” Prog takes a look inside Bill Oddie’s Record Collection
Bill Oddie, best known as one-third of the British comedy trio The Goodies, has died on 25 July 2026. To mark his passing, Prog magazine has republished a 2013 interview in which the entertainer, also a keen music fan and birdwatcher, spoke about his eclectic record collection and the artists who shaped his musical taste.
In the piece, Oddie recalls presenting Steve Hillage with the Visionary Award at the Progressive Music Awards at Kew Gardens in 2013, the same year he invited Prog into his home to discuss his records. He describes his listening habits as having moved through several distinct phases over his lifetime, citing the Mahavishnu Orchestra as a band that particularly struck him, while also crediting the comedy and novelty songs of his childhood with teaching him how to write songs himself.
In short
- Goodies star Bill Oddie has died, aged 85, on 25 July 2026.
- Prog republishes his 2013 interview about his record collection.
- He named Mahavishnu Orchestra as a band that "knocked him over".
Explained simply
Bill Oddie was a British comedian best known as a member of The Goodies, a comedy trio that rose to prominence in the 1970s through their television shows, films and records. Beyond comedy, Oddie was also a keen musician and birdwatcher, maintaining eclectic interests throughout his career.
As well as writing and performing comedy, Oddie had developed an extensive record collection spanning decades of music. Prog magazine interviewed him in 2013 about his collection, asking him to reflect on which artists and albums had been most significant to him and how his musical tastes had evolved over his lifetime.
In the interview, Oddie describes key influences ranging from the comedy and novelty songs he enjoyed in childhood to progressive rock bands like the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The piece shows how these varied musical tastes informed his approach to songwriting and entertainment across comedy, music and broadcasting.