was born on January 3, 1946, in Sidcup, Kent. He began playing piano at the age of six, receiving lessons from his father, Joe Baldwin, who was a pianist and arranger for prominent big bands during the 1940s and 1950s, including Ambrose and his Orchestra. His mother was also involved in

was born on January 3, 1946, in Sidcup, Kent. He began playing piano at the age of six, receiving lessons from his father, Joe Baldwin, who was a pianist and arranger for prominent big bands during the 1940s and 1950s, including Ambrose and his Orchestra. His mother was also involved in the music industry, and the family often performed together, touring across England as a vaudeville comedy act.

Baldwin’s musical influences were diverse, ranging from the blues of Big Bill Broonzy and the jazz of Charles Mingus to the classical piano compositions of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Due to his parents’ frequent touring, he was sent to boarding school at an early age. He later attended Christ’s College in Blackheath, London, where he formally studied music.

At just 14 years old, Baldwin became the choirmaster and organist at a local church. Around the same time, he purchased his first bass guitar, a Dallas Tuxedo solid-body electric. Over the years, he upgraded his instruments until he acquired a 1962 Fender Jazz Bass, which he played until 1976. Baldwin has cited the fluid bass playing of Chicago musician Phil Upchurch on the You Can’t Sit Down LP, featuring a standout bass solo, as a key inspiration for taking up the bass.