Robin James Goodridge was born on September 10, 1966. He was raised in a small town near Gilford, England. Growing up, he looked up to his older brother Steven, who was a drummer. When his brother left home, he left behind his drum kit. The younger Goodridge saw his opportunity, took the pointers his brother had taught him, and learned the rest by trial and error. The Who‘s drummer Keith Moon was a big influence. Goodridge got a scholarship for electrical work, but he hated it. Throughout his teens and twenties, Robin held down odd jobs, but kept returning to music. Some of his failed attempts at being in a band were with groups such as Bob Brook,The Bunch, Rumble and he was even in a band with mod rocker Bret Yeomans (from 17 Black).