Legendary Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden dies after health setbacks
Former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden has died at the age 72.
The sad news of the musician's passing was announced by band leader David Coverdale, who confirmed that his bandmate and dear friend Bernie died on Thursday evening (August 24), with his wife and daughters by his side.
“I’ve just woken up to the awful news that my old friend and former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed,” he wrote on social media. “My sincere thoughts and prayers to his beloved family, friends and fans. A genuinely funny, gifted man, whom I was honored to know and share a stage with.”
Legendary Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden dies at 72 after health setbacks (Roger Goodgroves / Avalon)
Bernie died surrounded by his beloved family (Keith Mayhew/Retna / Avalon)A full statement from Bernie's family confirmed the musician passed with all his loved ones by his side. "On behalf of his family, it is with deep sadness we announce the death of Bernie Marsden. Bernie died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side. Bernie never lost his passion for music, writing and recording new songs until the end."
Over the past twelve months, Bernie had suffered a series of health setbacks after having an operation in June 2022. After the surgery, he suffered acute dehydration and was hospitalised for a week.
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Taking to social media late last year, Bernie told his adoring fans fans in a video message that it had been 'a difficult year' for him. However, he said he was 'feeling much better' and was hoping to get 'back to square one' sooner rather than later.
The Fool For Your Loving hitmaker apologised to fans when he was forced to cancel a series of appearances at festivals earlier this year. Sadly ,Bernie seemingly didn't recover from his health setbacks and never made it back on stage.
Bernie co-wrote some of Whitesnake’s most notable songs, including Here I Go Again and Fool For Your Loving. His blues-influenced guitar-playing style were instrumental in establishing Whitesnake’s distinctive musical sound and brand.
Bernie on stage with bandmate Mick Moody in 1981 (Ilpo Musto/REX/Shutterstock)Before he made it big with Whitesnake, Bernie was a proud member of the band UFO and also pursued a solo career before his big break. His contributions to rock music, particularly within the hard rock and blues genres, are now considered a legacy.
Cliff Richard once tried to take a break from his Summer Holiday image – with the help of Bernie. Squeaky clean Sir Cliff was introduced to rocker Bernie by his own manager in a bid to harden up his sound.
Speaking about his time with Cliff, Bernie previously revealed he was “very unexpectedly recommended” to the singer in 1989 - and went to one of his concerts to see what needed changing.
“His team had thought it would be good to introduce a hard-rock feel. There was a certain amount of surprise from those around Cliff, a lot of eyes were watching me," he said.
“I could feel an uneasy vibe – why the hell is this ex-Whitesnake guitarist at a Cliff Richard gig? I watched the show and made mental notes of just how many changes there needed to be. I could see that a lot would need to be done.”
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