Nik Turner, the English multi-instrumentalist finest referred to as a member of the British space-rock band Hawkwind, has died. The information was introduced on Turner’s Fb web page. “We’re deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik Turner – The Would possibly Thunder Rider, who handed away peacefully at house on Thursday night,” the assertion learn. “He has moved onto the following section of his Cosmic Journey, guided by the love of his household, buddies and followers. Watch this area for his preparations.” Turner was 82 years previous.
Born on August 26, 1940 in Oxford, Τurner moved to the city of Margate, Kent as a young person. After leaving for one voyage with the Service provider Navy, he traveled round Europe taking menial jobs, together with a stint as a roustabout in a touring music circus. Although he had two years of clarinet and saxophone classes within the early Nineteen Sixties, it wasn’t till he encountered some free jazz gamers in Berlin that he thought of pursuing music severely. “They satisfied me that you simply didn’t have to be technical to specific your self,” he informed Mojo in 1999. “I made a decision that what I needed to do was play free jazz in a rock band – what I used to be attempting to do in Hawkwind, principally.”
In 1969, Turner initially provided to work as a roadie for the newly fashioned Hawkwind, however was quickly invited to hitch the band. He went on to co-write a few of their hottest songs, together with ‘Brainstorm’ and ‘Grasp of the Universe’, however was kicked out in 1976 because of complaints about his enjoying over his bandmates. He briefly returned to the band in 1982 earlier than leaving two years later.
After being dismissed from Hawkwind, Turner traveled to Egypt, the place he was given three hours to file himself enjoying flute within the King’s Chamber of the Nice Pyramid of Giza. Upon his return to England, he assembled the band Sphynx with Alan Powell, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, and Harry Williamson, and integrated these recordings right into a full album, Xitintoday, which got here out in 1978. Most of the Sphynx musicians additionally appeared on the 1978 single ‘Nuclear Waste’, which featured lead vocals from Sting. Over time, Turner launched music with the initiatives Interior Metropolis Unit, Nik Turner’s Improbable All Stars, and House Ritual, the latter of which was energetic till his loss of life.