Vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley of legendary Welsh rockers BUDGIE has died at the age of 71. The news of his passing was shared earlier today by his daughter Ela. She wrote on Facebook: "It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father, John Burke Shelley. He passed away this evening in his sleep at Heath Hospital in Cardiff, his birth town. He was 71 years old. Please respect the family during this time. "With love, His four children: Ela, Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel." Two years ago, Shelley said that he was suffering from aortic aneurysm — a dangerous and abnormal swelling of the main artery that supplies blood to the body. He was also batting Stickler syndrome, a genetic disorder that can cause serious vision, hearing and joint problems. At the time, he told Wales Online that he turned down surgery because of the risk that it would cause irreparable spinal damage. "I want to live what life I have left and not be crippled," he said. "I've got faith in God and have no worries about where I'm going. So I'll just go when He decides to take me and, in the meantime, I'll carry on doing what I want to do. Simple as that." BUDGIE was widely considered as one of the first heavy metal bands and a seminal influence on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Although BUDGIE was never more than a cult band in the United States, their influence was felt by many notable American bands. They are highly respected by METALLICA, who went on record as having credited BUDGIE as a major influence, while SOUNDGARDEN — who emerged from the Seattle grunge scene — covered "Homicidal Suicidal".
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
