Legendary proto-Heavy Metal artist Burke Shelley of of Budgie has died. He was 71 years old. The news of the influential bassist and vocalist’s passing was shared earlier today by his daughter Ela in a Budgie fan community on Facebook. Shelley has been in poor health for several years according to published reports (Blabbermouth.net). Budgie was huge in the pre-New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and Thrash Metal era, inspiring praise, covers, and love from bands as major as Metallica and Iron Maiden, and all of their followers. Metallica broke out their cover of “Breadfan” at their recent 40th Anniversary shows, and the song has been a staple of their shows for decades. They previously recorded “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” and “Breadfan” on several covers records and single. Maiden has covered “I Can’t See My Feelings.” RIP Burke. 

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Ela wrote on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father, John Burke Shelley. He passed away this evening in his sleep at Heath Hospital in Cardiff, his birth town. He was 71 years old. Please respect the family during this time.

“With love, His four children: Ela, Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel.”