Obits.....

Bernard "Bernie" John Marsden  ( May 7, 1951 - Aug 24th 202 - age 72) R.I.P.

Bernie Marsden, the original guitarist for the band Whitesnake, has died aged 72. According to a statement from his family, the musician ‘died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side’.

Marsden was born in Buckingham and performed in several bands as a teenager before turning professional with UFO in 1972. Aftr other session work, including Paice, Ashton & Lord, Marsden and another former Deep Purple member, David Coverdale formed Whitesnake in 1978, playing on the band’s debut EP and first five albums.  During that time, he recorded two solo albums: And About Time Too and Look At Me Now. After leaving Whitesnake in 1981, Marsden formed Alaska, making two albums in the 1980s, before briefly forming MGM with Neil Murray and Mel Galley.

In 2011, he reunited with Whitesnake for the first time since 1981 at the Sweden Rock Festival, becoming the only original member of the band to play with a later line-up. In early 2017, Marsden self-published his autobiography, Where’s My Guitar: On The Tourbus With The Snakeman, which covered his musical journey and featured private, unseen pictures from his career. He has played with some of the greatest rock and roll musicians of all time, including Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Jon Lord and Gary Moore as well as helping to steer Joe Bonamassa on the Royal Tea album.

Bernie's last recordings were salutes to his Blues roots, Kings, Chess & Trios.

Very sad news to wake-up to this morning; I met Bernie a few years ago after a headline-set at Darlington Market Free Blues Festival: a modest and funny guy who was very generous with his time to the fans at the post-show meet & greet.

PS - sorry Curby, for a guy like Bernie, felt it was the righ move to re-launch this thread.