The music world has suffered another significant loss as Andy Gill, guitarist for veteran rockers Gang of Four, has passed away at the age of 64.

Gill died Saturday (Feb. 1) in a central London hospital after a short respiratory illness.

The musician was a founding member of the band and the lone original member in the current lineup. The band experienced a hiatus between 1997 and 2004, but Gill was back in the fold when the band relaunched and he appeared on each of their studio albums. The influential British rock outfit most recently released the Happy Now album in 2019.

John Sterry, Thomas McNeice and Tobias Humble, respectively singer, bass player and drummer of Gang of Four, issued a statement on Gill's death. It can be read below:

This is so hard for us to write, but our great friend and Supreme Leader has died today.

Andy’s final tour in November was the only way he was ever really going to bow out; with a Stratocaster around his neck, screaming with feedback and deafening the front row.

His uncompromising artistic vision and commitment to the cause, meant that he was still listening to mixes for the upcoming record and planning the next tour from his hospital bed.

But to us, he was our friend - and we’ll remember him for his kindness and generosity, his fearsome intelligence, bad jokes, mad stories and endless cups of Darjeeling tea. He just so happened to be a bit of a genius too.

One of the best to ever do it, his influence on guitar music and the creative process was inspiring for us all, as well as everyone who worked alongside him and listened to his music. And his albums and production work speak for themselves.
Go give ‘em a spin for him...

Love you mate

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello called Gill "one of my principal influences on the instrument," adding, "His jagged plague disco raptor attack industrial funk deconstructed guitar anti-hero sonics and fierce poetic radical intellect were formative for me."

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea stated, "Go listen to the Gang of Four album ENTERTAINMENT right now. Turn that shit up loud and rock the fuck out. Dance. Think. Thats a record that changed my life forever, and was massively influential on my development as a musician, and showed me what a rock band could be." Gill also produced Red Hot Chili Peppers' first album.

See some additional comments on the death of Andy Gill below:

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)

Nirvana

Juliette Lewis

Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli

Mike Mills (REM)

Gary Numan

Thomas Dolby

Blur's Graham Coxon

The Futureheads

The Cure's Lol Tolhurst

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