Primal Scream Keyboardist Dies at 55 – Billboard

Martin Duffy, the keyboardist for iconic Scottish alt-rock band Primal Scream, has died. He was 55.

Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie introduced his bandmate’s demise in a prolonged social media tribute on Tuesday (Dec. 20), revealing that Duffy had died from a mind harm after falling at his house on Sunday (Dec. 18) in Brighton, England.

“We in Primal Scream are all so unhappy,” Gillespie wrote on Instagram, noting that he had recognized Duffy since he was a teen within the indie band Felt. “He performed keyboards on each album of ours from the primary to the final. Lastly becoming a member of the band in 1991. Martin was a really particular character. He had a love and understanding of music on a deep non secular stage. Music meant every little thing to him.”

Duffy was born on Might 18, 1967, in Birmingham, England. He joined Felt on the age of 16 within the mid-Nineteen Eighties earlier than the group signed with Creation Data. Duffy was a member of the band till its break up in 1989.

Throughout his time in Felt, Duffy additionally joined recording classes for Primal Scream’s first two albums, Sonic Flower Groove (1987) and Primal Scream (1989). He was a full-time member of the U.Ok. rock outfit by the discharge of its critically acclaimed 1991 album, Screamadelica. A long time later, Duffy contributed to frontman Gillespie’s 2021 collaborative album, Utopian Ashes, with Savages singer Jehnny Beth.

Following the demise of The Charlatans‘ founding member Rob Collins in 1996, Duffy stepped in to carry out with the veteran groove-rockers when the band supported Oasis at a live performance in Knebworth that summer season. He additionally contributed to the Charlatans’ 1997 album, Tellin’ Tales.

“One other tragic lack of a good looking soul,” Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess wrote on Twitter. “Martin Duffy stepped in to save lots of The Charlatans after we misplaced Rob – he performed with us at Knebworth and was a real pal. He toured with me in my solo band too – he was a pleasure to spend time with. Protected travels Duffy.”

Duffy collaborated with quite a few different musicians throughout his profession, together with Beth Orton, Chemical Brothers, Paul Weller and Jessie Buckley. He additionally launched a solo album, Assorted Promenades, in 2014.

“Martin was probably the most musically gifted of all of us,” Gillespie wrote. “His fashion mixed components of nation, blues and soul, all of which he had a God given pure really feel for. He by no means performed the identical factor twice, ever. He was all about ‘the second’, higher have that ‘document’ button on when Duffy was on fireplace. His timing was distinctive, funky and ALWAYS behind the beat.”

See Primal Scream’s full tribute beneath.