Hawkwind Co-Founder Nik Turner Dies at 82
Nik Turner, co-founder and multi-instrumentalist for the British space-rock band Hawkwind, has died. A spokesperson for the musician introduced his demise on Fb earlier right now (November 11), noting that memorial preparations are nonetheless within the works. “We’re deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik Turner—The Mighty Thunder Rider, who handed away peacefully at residence on Thursday night,” the assertion mentioned. “He has moved onto the following section of his cosmic journey, guided by the love of his household, buddies, and followers.” He was 82 years outdated.
Nicholas Robert Turner was born on August 26, 1940 in Oxford. The Turner household relocated to the city of Margate, Kent when Nik was 13, the place he was first uncovered to rock music. After a quick stint within the Service provider Navy, he set off to journey round Europe, taking menial jobs to fund his curiosity in music. Turner studied saxophone in his early twenties, but it surely wasn’t till his travels introduced him to Berlin that he ever thought-about performing free jazz. “[These free jazz musicians] satisfied me that you just didn’t should be technical to precise your self,” he advised Mojo in 1999. “I made a decision that what I wished to do was play free jazz in a rock band. What I used to be making an attempt to do in Hawkwind, principally.”
Turner was an outdated pal of Dave Brock, and shortly after Brock got here along with Mick Slattery, John Harrison, and Terry Ollis to type Hawkwind, Turner supplied to work as a roadie for the band, which he finally joined. His skills as a flautist and saxophonist led to his rising involvement with the band, co-writing songs like “Brainstorm” and “Grasp of the Universe.” In 1976, Turner was kicked out of the band, finally rejoining the group in 1982 earlier than leaving once more two years later. His time with Hawkwind notably overlapped with that of Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, who joined the band in 1971 earlier than leaving to type Motörhead 4 years later.
Upon his preliminary departure from the group, Turner traveled to Egypt, the place he was impressed to file flute music inside the Pyramids. The recordings turned the premise for Sphynx, a brand new challenge that includes Alan Powell, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, and Harry Williamson. The group launched their debut album album, Xitintoday, in 1978. Turner recorded music beneath different monikers together with Interior Metropolis Unit, Nik Turner’s Incredible All Stars, and Area Ritual, the latter of which launched their second studio album, Otherworld, in 2007.
“I’ve a really informal perspective to all this—to me, it’s leisure,” he advised the Quietus in 2013. “However leisure with an agenda, actually. Of spreading pleasure and love and that type of factor. I imply, I fear about being too overtly hippy, however peace and love usually are not modern sentiments in some quarters and I feel they need to be.”