Jeffrey Lynne OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and currently the sole member of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra, which was formed in 1970, and as a songwriter has written most of the band's hits, including "Evil Woman", "Livin' Thing", "Telephone Line", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Hold On Tight".
Lynne was born in Birmingham and became interested in music during his youth, being heavily inspired by the Beatles. He began his music career in 1963 as a member of the Andicaps, leaving the group a year later to join the Chads. From 1966 to 1970, he was a founder member of and principal songwriter of the Idle Race. In 1970, he accepted Roy Wood's offer to join the Move, going on to contribute heavily to the band's last two albums. Later that year, Lynne, Wood and Bev Bevan formed the band ELO as a side project to which they intended to devote most of their energies, out of their desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. Following Wood's departure from ELO in 1972, Lynne assumed sole leadership of the band and wrote, arranged and produced virtually all of its subsequent records.