Born in Kidderminster in Worcestershire, England, Roden's first band was The Shakedown Sound that included guitarist Kevyn Gammond and keyboard player August Eadon. In 1967, he joined the Alan Bown Set as their new lead singer. Although their records never charted nationally, he did pick up a fandom in London (and belatedly became something of a star on the Northern Soul scene) with the release of their single "Emergency 999".

Read more about Jess Roden on Last.fm.