Seeds Frontman Sky Saxon Dies in Austin
- Posted on Jun 25th 2009 1:05PM by Dan Reilly
- Comments (26)
Sky Saxon, lead singer and bassist of '60s garage rockers the Seeds, died Thursday in an Austin, Texas hospital. He had been in the ICU since Monday suffering from an undisclosed illness -- doctors suspected an internal organ infection -- until his wife, Sabrina, announced his passing via Facebook. Influenced heavily by the Rolling Stones, Saxon -- born Richard Marsh -- founded the Seeds in 1965 in California. The next year, the psychedelic rockers released two albums, 'The Seeds' and 'A Web of Sound,' and had hits with 'Can't Seem to Make You Mine' and 'Pushin' Too Hard,' their most successful song. In 1967, the band released two more albums: 'Future,' a psychedelic rock album, and 'A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues,' which was credited to the Sky Saxon Blues Band and featured liner notes by the legendary Muddy Waters.
After some lineup changes and a few more commercially unsuccessful albums, Saxon dissolved the band in the early '70s. He joined a California commune, the Source Family, adopted the name Sunlight and occasionally performed with their trippy house band, the Ya Ho Wa 13. In 1989, Saxon reformed the Seeds to tour with other '60s acts like Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Arthur Lee and Love. They toured again in 2003, and Saxon kept busy musically, releasing an album last year, and recording with the Smashing Pumpkins. Though he fell ill last Thursday, Saxon still managed to play a short gig on Saturday night at Austin rock club Antone's.
Earlier today, Sabrina Sherry Smith Saxon wrote on her Facebook page, "Sky has passed over and YaHoWha is waiting for him at the gate. He will soon be home with his Father. I'm so sorry I couldn't keep him here with us. More later. I'm sorry." No other announcements have been made.
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Jay Bennett, May 24, 2009: The multi-instrumentalist and former member of Wilco passed away in his sleep of unknown causes. He was 45 years old.
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Stephen Bruton, May 9, 2009: The guitarist and songwriter, who worked with the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson, died from complications of throat cancer. He was 60.
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Ean Evans, May 6, 2009: The Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist died in May 2009 after what the band called "a valiant battle with an aggressive form of cancer."
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Reader Comments(1 of 2)
tpgbartat 6-25-2009
Pushin Too Hard Sky you deserved so much more credit than you ever got RIP brother...my bands will always keep your songs out there
Chaya Lipschutzat 6-25-2009
So sad! So important to have a yearly check-up with a doctor and also to go to a doctor when we see any possible signs of an infection - how imporant to take care of this right away.
May his family know of no other sorrow.
Chaya Lipschutz
www.SaveALife-DonateAKidney.com
gcrant4at 6-25-2009
The Seeds were a great and underappreciated band, and Sky Saxon never got much recognition like the rest of the band did. I have been a fan since 1966 when I first heard the classic "Pushin' Too Hard," and "Can't Seem To Make You Mine." R.I.P. Richard Marsh, bettter known as SKY SAXON.
musikfanatat 6-25-2009
Can't Seem to Make You Mine is an all time classic-it's on my mp3 player. The Seeds, Arthur Lee and Love, 13th Floor Elevators, MC5 and those type bands were the best of the 60s proto-punk, psychedelic, hard rock bands!
I'm listening to Sky right now...
hypnozingat 6-25-2009
Pushin' Too Hard. My favorite song ever. A friend of mine ran into Sky a few months ago. Wish I'd been there. Will miss you, Sky!
Smutat 6-25-2009
Great band!Who can forget "Mr. Farmer"?R.I.P.,Sky!
amx723000at 6-25-2009
YaHoWha...who is this...never heard anything about YaHowha
nancyinjpat 6-25-2009
That's exactly what I was thinking. Who is this YoWaha and what gate is he meeting him in? Making up their own little religion in their own world doesn't make it true....
mrosey316at 6-25-2009
ya ho,..whaaaa!
smokinjoat 6-25-2009
how is it thus we are here and so soon we are gone
RIP SKY
blitzmcdat 6-25-2009
We had the considerable pleasure of runinng a rather lengthy interview with Sky Saxon in 1986, at which time he remarked, "I'm giving the people melodic songs to get the whole world singing again". He did just that in abundace, both with the Seeds and throughout his long and fruitful solo career. God bless him! Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to his family.
Michael McDowell, Blitz Magazine
pfam4lifeat 6-25-2009
WARNING: A not completely related, FYI Post - Amy, YaHoWha is probably another non-American English spelling of Yahweh, which in American English is Jehovah. (kinda like in older Italian, Christus was Christ.) If you are Christian, you no doubt believe in Jesus Christ. But, for sure, when he walked the earth, his name was not written or pronounced the way we do today in American English, as Jesus Christ. But, for some reason, most Americans do use the American translation of Jesus Christ but don't accept the American English translation of Yahweh which is Jehovah. Check an older King James Version Bible at Psalms 83:18.
mrosey316at 6-25-2009
that makes more sence
TIM NELSONat 6-25-2009
Great person met his brother Bill along with Bruce Lee
back in the day
stress226at 6-25-2009
My first concert at The Village Theatre in NYC later to be known as the Filmore East. My older brother took me and a friend to see The Byrds, The Seeds and The Vanilla Fudge. Sky was in top form that night. I will never forget it. RIP Sky. Your music will live on. SR
hermandstarat 6-25-2009
He was a "SEED", now he's fertilizer
ftfk1at 6-25-2009
Skye miss ya.
Carolat 6-25-2009
more elvis things
eofsoulgrowthat 6-25-2009
Sky Saxon is my Brother. In YaHoWha . . . our Spiritual Father - who named him Arelich Aquarian.
Sky is a dear and gentle soul and the real thing. He did not speak ill of anyone - always had something positive to say of everyone - was always respectful of all and knew exactly who he was.
He will be remembered fondly by many and leaves a big hole in alternative rock and roll. The dogs of the earth have lost a great champion (spelled backwards = God).
On a light note, we - the Source Family - were living in Hawaii in 1975 and I had lined up a gig working in the muddy tropical rain forest. I asked for 10 of our brothers to help and Arelich (Sky) showed up in satins and patent leather shoes ! We shard a laugh about it for years.
Many who would be saddened by his final passage might be comforted to know that death is not the end. It is the beginning. Life and death are but the bookends of our lives. Arelich will have a smooth and easy passage as his soul reviews his life’s river for the next 3 1/2 days. The Source Family is arranging for 24/7 live chanting of the Sacred Name of God during his Rite of Passage. The Sacred Name is YA HO WHA . . . which has been known for thousands of years and hidden from the common man. Our Father came to teach through his music and that Name - saying that we need all the help we can get in our hour of need. Find more at YaHoWha.org.
Everything that happens - every circumstance and event - is for your own Soul's Growth. YaHoWha - 1973
thr33tim3at 6-26-2009
Not to be a mean-spirited gossip, but I actually met Sky Saxon about two years ago when he was my GF's house-mate in a tiny little town in Northern California. He was the MOST burned out hippie I have ever met, literally stumbling around in a stupor, couldn't carry a conversation, ate mostly boiled vegetables and pasta cooked in one big pot. We all called him "Richard", but later learned he was really Sky Saxon, and he gave us a Seeds LP at one point. He had a bunch of really weird burn-out friends who would come over and apparently they had a Kabbala study group together. He was definitely in his '60s, could've been in his '70s from the looks of it, he looked like a very old man. I have more stories but maybe 'nuff said. :) I am not so much surprised to hear he passed, but it does blow my mind to imagine him getting his sh*t together enough to play with the Smashing Pumpkins last year!! Most of the time he was muttering to himself and cursing under his breath when we were around him, and that was back in '07...