Finn Costello, Getty Images Former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton has…
John Harrison, Dead: Hawkwind Bassist Dies From Huntington's Disease at 69
- Posted on Jun 20th 2012 1:45PM by Jason MacNeil
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Although news of Harrison's passing is just being reported now, the band's official website made the announcement on May 29. According to Harrison's sister Franny, the musician "went peacefully, after a wonderful day." The body was then taken to the "UCLA medical centre" as was previously arranged by Harrison. "He was treated with great respect and dignity," Franny wrote.
Harrison formed the group in 1969 with Dave Brock and Mick Slattery before adding more members to flesh out the band. Without a name, the group played a 20-minute jam of the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" at a London show which caught the attention of the late BBC DJ John Peel. After signing to Liberty Records, the band released its self-titled debut album in 1970. Harrison would leave following the debut album and was replaced for a short time by Thomas Crimble. He would go on to work as a producer and engineer at Village Recorders in Los Angeles.
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Hawkwind were known as one of the early pioneers of "space rock," which melded science fiction themes with long instrumental jams and complex structures. The group is also known for being the band Lemmy Kilmister played bass in beginning in the early '70s. Kilmister's tenure with Hawkwind ended in his firing after being arrested at the Canada-U.S. border in 1975 with amphetamines, which were mistaken for cocaine. Kilmister would go on to form Motorhead in 1975, taking the name from a song he wrote for Hawkwind. Motorhead's official site has yet made no mention of Harrison's passing.
Both Cleopatra Records and former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton issued statements on Harrison's passing. According to AntiMusic, the guitarist said Harrison's "honest, solid character and playing held the whole thing together in that first year of the group's existence (in more ways than one)!"
Hawkwind is still carrying on despite numerous personnel changes. The band released its new studio album Onward earlier this year and have some 2012 tour dates confirmed in support of the record.
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Around The Web:
Hawkwind - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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http://www.ksa-flh.com
yet another from my High School years is rockin up above. I KNOW what Huntington's does to a person, as my Father in Law battled with it for almost 15 years.
June 21 2012 at 8:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow is this a "headline" entertainment news story? I'm 41 years old and have never even heard of them before...I feel sorry for the guy's familly but it isn't front page news...
June 21 2012 at 8:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyyou said a mouthful.......you're 41....you WOULD'NT really know of him.
June 21 2012 at 8:43 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyI'm 41 and I am a Hawkwind (and Motorhead) fan. A good friend of mine went to England in the exchange program at our high school. He brought back some Hawkwind records (yes, vinyl), and I've been a fan ever since. They are England's answer to America's Grateful Dead, similar in following, different style of music.
June 21 2012 at 9:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate downI met a fellow guitar player at work back in 1989 and he used to rave about Hawkwind and even though i was really into rock i or anyone i knew had never heard of them so i figured they couldn't be too good. Well, spring forward to 2011 and as i'm driving thru Atlanta at midnight they had a very unusual radio station i caught that played the wildest music, old and new, and they played a Hawkwind song and it was totally awesome. So later i looked on youtube and these guys were "space" type of rock writers kind of like Pink Floyd at times and were amazing. I would highly recommend you guys, and girls, to check it out if this sounds interesting to you. Thank God for the internet to instanly find stuff like this. Being 56 myself most of my life in music was slow and very time and money consuming.
June 21 2012 at 6:46 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyThis story, along with TV award shows, also forgot...
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012)
He was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, described as "one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century" and "the most influential singer of the 20th Century". Fischer-Dieskau was ranked the second greatest singer of the century (after Jussi Björling) by Classic CD (United Kingdom) "Top Singers of the Century" Critics' Poll (June 1999).
Another great loss to the music world. Thank God Lemmy is still here.
June 21 2012 at 6:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyi saw hawkwind in 74 at the auditorium in chicago with lemmy. they are awesome. r.i.p.
June 21 2012 at 3:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThank you ..I was seventeen in 1968 so I was seen and heard a large number of people and bands come and go over the years .. But this guy and his band are new to me ...RIP anyway That is a hard way to go .
June 21 2012 at 1:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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