Bernie Marsden, the former guitarist of legendary hard rock band Whitesnake, has passed away at the age of 72.
Band leader David Coverdale conveyed the heartbreaking news of the musician’s demise, confirming that Bernie, his fellow band member and cherished friend, passed away on the evening of Thursday (24 August).
Bernie’s wife and daughters were reportedly present by his side during his passing.
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Taking to his Instagram page, David wrote: “I’ve just woken up to the awful news that my old friend and former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed.
“My sincere thoughts and prayers to his beloved family, friends and fans.
“A genuinely funny, gifted man, whom I was honoured to know and share a stage with.
“RIP, Bernie XXX,” along with hands in prayer and guitar emojis.
A comprehensive statement issued by Bernie’s family has verified that the musician departed from this world in the company of all his beloved family members.
The full statement read: “On behalf of his family, it is with deep sadness we announce the death of Bernie Marsden.
“Bernie died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side.
“Bernie never lost his passion for music, writing and recording new songs until the end.”
Throughout the last year, Bernie had encountered a succession of health challenges subsequent to undergoing a surgical procedure in June 2022.
Following the operation, the iconic musician experienced severe dehydration, leading to a week-long hospitalisation.
In a video message shared with his devoted fans on social media towards the end of 2022, Bernie expressed that it had been a challenging year for him.
Nonetheless, the music talent who has contributed to multi-million selling chart-toppers conveyed that he was experiencing notable improvement and was eager to swiftly regain his previous state, saying he was “feeling much better” and was hoping to get “back to square one” sooner rather than later.
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Bernie went on to express regret to his fans when he had to cancel several festival appearances earlier this year due to his poor health reasons.
Regrettably, his health challenges persisted, and he never managed to make a comeback to the stage.
Bernie has an impressive track record in the music industry dating back to when he was only aged 17, when he formed his first music band, Skinny Cat.
The rock icon has gone on to co-write along with David some of Whitesnake’s most memorable songs including hits, Fool for Your Loving, Walking in the Shadow of the Blues, She’s A Woman, Lovehunter, Trouble, and more.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
