He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Ricky Gardiner, the guitarist known for playing with David Bowie and Iggy Pop, has died at age 73 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. The death of the musician, considered a guitar genius, was reported by producer Tony Visconti on Facebook, after being informed by Gardiner’s widow, Virginia Scott.
Visconti said the death of the man known as a “guitar genius” was made known to him in an email by the musician’s wife, Virginia.
Iggy Pop wrote a moving tribute to his friend on Twitter upon learning of his death.
“Dear Ricky, lovely, lovely man, shirtless in your overalls, nicest guy to ever play guitar. Thanks for the memories and songs, rest in peace forever,” he wrote.
Born in Edinburgh in 1948, his first major band was the progressive rock group Beggars Opera, which formed in 1969.
The following year, he recorded six albums with the band Act One, which became a cult favorite throughout Europe, particularly in Germany.
He also played with David Bowie and Iggy Pop; on lead guitar for Bowie on his 1977 album Low. That same year he worked with Pop on Lust for Life, including “The Passenger,” for which he wrote the music, which is considered some of Iggy’s best.
Gardiner and Bowie also toured with Pop for his The Idiot album; Bowie was on keyboards.
In 1998, Gardiner was diagnosed with electrosensitivity, which caused him discomfort with electronic devices.
“I can’t go near a television, computers of any kind, CD players, FM radio, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, mobile phones, induced magnetic fields, power supplies… Most of all I can’t get into a recording studio, so I’ve been trying for years to adapt my own studio so I can try to work to a certain extent,” he revealed to The Scotsman.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
