Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage

Latest Additions

Current most popular items

Translate

Statistics

Visitors: 5858909

Home

Obituaries

Norman "Hurricane" Smith

We are very sorry to report that the legendary producer, and later recording artist in his own right, Norman "Hurricane" Smith, passed away on Monday evening (March 3rd, 2008) aged 85.

Born on February 22nd 1923, he was the engineer on all of the recordings by the Beatles up until 1965 when EMI promoted him from engineer to producer. The last Beatles album he recorded was Rubber Soul, and Smith engineered the sound for approximately 180 Beatles songs in total.

He then took on the recording and production of Pink Floyd's Piper At The Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma and the Floyd's other early recordings. It was reported that during the sessions for the song "Remember a Day", Nick Mason became agitated that he could not come up with the right drum part for the song. Smith, however, knew what he wanted with the drums, so he played the part himself.

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett

It is with much sadness that we bring you the news that Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett has passed away, leaving us on Friday, July 7th, 2006.

An official statement confirmed the news, stating that "he died very peacefully", and that there will be a private, family funeral. He had been suffering from diabetes for a number of years, and been living his life quietly in Cambridge. His family confirmed that his passing was due to complications relating to the diabetes.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. He will be remembered with much love and affection.

Steve O'Rourke

Steve O'Rourke, Pink Floyd manager and keen racing driver, sadly passed away in Miami, Florida, USA, on October 1st, 2003.

His funeral service was held on 14th November at Chichester Cathedral in Sussex, England, where as a tribute to Steve, it is believed that David, Richard and Nick performed together again.

They were said to have played at the private service "Fat Old Sun" and "Great Gig In The Sky", with Dick Parry playing the saxophone as he followed the coffin... a fitting tribute to the man who took a big part in shaping the band's career.

Michael Kamen

Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning composer, conductor, arranger, musician and all-round nice guy Michael Kamen sadly passed away, at the age of 55, on 18th November 2003 in a hospital close to his home in London. He had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for some years, being diagnosed with the disease (which affects the central nervous system causing various disabilities) in 1996.

Nick Griffiths

Nick Griffiths, Pink Floyd engineer and producer of Roger Waters’ solo albums, died on March 20, 2005, aged 53, following complications after a transplant operation.

Griffiths was an inspirational record producer who was responsible for recording the Islington school kids for one of the iconic moments of rock music, the children’s chorus from the Pink Floyd’s hit single, Another Brick In The Wall Part II. Roger Waters on receiving the tape in Los Angeles, commented “...hearing all those kids singing for the first time; I knew immediately this was the mother-lode. It felt like pure gold.” Nick later went on to produce and record Roger Waters’ “The Wall Live In Berlin” TV concert, marking the reunification of Germany.