Tony Clarkson is a bassist from Birmingham, England, who made his biggest contribution to music as a member of the psychedelic pop band the World of Oz in 1968-1969. Born in Birmingham in 1945, he reached his teens just as rock & roll started to boom as a homegrown phenomenon in England. Birmingham -- often referred to in the local vernacular as "Brum" -- had a fiercely active music community by the start of the 1960s, rooted in American-style rock & roll as well as R&B and jazz, and Clarkson was active as a bassist on what became known as the "Brumbeat" scene. He played bass in several early/mid-'60s local bands that never recorded, including the Nicky James Movement, Way of Life (whose ranks included future Fairport Convention alumnus Dave Pegg and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham), and Zeus. In 1968, Clarkson and keyboardist David Kubinec joined fellow Brummies Christopher Robin and David Reay in what became known as the World of Oz, a pop-psychedelic quartet who relocated to London and were duly signed to Deram Records, the progressive pop imprint of Decca Records. They lasted together for a little over a year before disenchantment with the music they were making and other factors caused the lineup to splinter and then dissolve, following the release of their only long-player. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi