The Stranglers’ Dave Greenfield Dead at 71 Due to Coronavirus

The Stranglers' Dave Greenfield has died due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 71.

Greenfield was the keyboardist and songwriter for the English rock group for over four decades. He had been in the hospital prior to his death for heart problems. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, April 26, and sadly lost his fight with the virus on May 3. The news came from a statement posted on the Stranglers' website, along with several tributes from members of the band and their manager.

"Dave had been an ever present in the band since joining in late 1975 and his keyboard wizardry was world-renowned over his 45 year career in The Stranglers," they wrote. "Dave was a lovable, friendly and eccentric character who always had time to chat."

“We lost a true innovator, musical legend, and one of my dearest friends today," said guitarist and vocalist Baz Warne. "The word genius is bandied around far too easily in this day and age, but Dave Greenfield certainly was one. We stood together on the same side of the stage for 20 years, laughed, joked and shared our lives in the way that only band mates can. I’ll miss him forever. Our thoughts and hearts are with his wife Pam, and to the millions of fans who worshipped at his altar, he’ll never be equalled.”

Throughout their career, the Stranglers released a collective 17 studio albums. Though they rose during the punk rock era in the U.K. in the mid '70s, the band became known for dabbling in different musical styles, preventing them from being pigeonholed into a single category. Greenfield's identity on the keyboards, comparable to the likes of the Doors' Ray Manzarek, was perhaps a key component in their unique sound.

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