Colin Blunstone, frontman of the legendary band The Zombies, took a job as an insurance clerk after the group’s 1968 breakup left him without a plan B. Now 80, Blunstone reflects on the unexpected career pivot following the band’s early success.
The Zombies’ Rise to Fame
Formed in St Albans in 1962 as teenagers, The Zombies achieved rapid success. They became the second British band after The Beatles to top the US charts in the mid-1960s. Hits like 1964’s ‘She’s Not There’ and 1965’s ‘Tell Her No’ propelled them forward. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle remains influential, featuring the enduring track ‘Time of the Season.’
Band Splits Amid Challenges
The group disbanded in 1968 due to declining sales and poor management. Blunstone, who joined while still in school, admits he was reluctant to end it. ‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing,’ he says. ‘We’d been through a very difficult period where things had not gone well on the road. We weren’t really managed very astutely. And of course, we were incredibly young and naive.’
After the decision, Blunstone left a meeting pondering his future. ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life? I had no idea,’ he recalls. As a non-songwriter, he faced financial hardship and found work through a phone book number, spending 10 months in insurance. He never saw it as his calling.
Comeback and Lasting Legacy
Just 10 months later, ‘Time of the Season’ hit big in the US, reviving Blunstone’s music career. He pursued solo work, and The Zombies reformed in various lineups. The original members reunited in 2004 for guitarist Paul Atkinson’s President’s Merit Award at a Los Angeles benefit concert—his final performance before passing later that year.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, Blunstone is now the sole original member. Despite strong demand, he recognizes limits. ‘Logic tells me I can’t tour forever,’ he states. ‘It’s a new journey for me really… I’d like to tour for as long as I’m physically able, but you can only deal with one day at a time.’
Blunstone tours his solo show across the UK from May 7 to 28. Full details and tickets are available on his website.
