More sad news as we move into the second month of the year. Legendary post-Punk and Brit Rock guitarist and producer Andy Gil has died after a short respiratory illness in London. He was just 64 years old.  As a founding member of Gang of Four, Andy left an indelible mark on music with his style and songcraft. Gang of Four’s first few albums are seminal works in post-Punk and New Wave music and they continued to inspire and affect bands long after they were inactive in the scene. A ground-breaking composer and producer, he worked with artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Stranglers, the Futureheads, Michael Hutchence, Bono, Therapy? and the Young Knives. The band had reunited (with Gill as the only original member) in recent years to much acclaim. His band has released a tribute via their publicist.

John Sterry, Thomas McNeice and Tobias Humble, respectively singer, bass player and drummer of Gang of Four, say:

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

Andy is survived by his wife Catherine Mayer, his brother Martin and many family and elective family members who will miss him terribly. Please respect their grief.

We send our condolences out to Andy’s family, friends, band and many fans all over the world right now.