Scott Walker, an acclaimed music icon for more than 60 years, has passed away at the age of 76.
Born Noel Scott Engel, Scott Walker first rose to fame as part of The Walker Brothers in the ’60s. Teaming up with John Maus and Gary Leeds, the group’s pop records scored them a number of top ten chart placings in the UK, along with singles like ‘Make It Easy on Yourself’.
Following the initial breakup of The Walker Brothers in 1967, Scott Walker kept his stage name, using it to release a number of solo records over the years.
Gaining a cult following for his baroque-pop stylings, Walker eventually shifted into much more of an avant-garde, experimental style, receiving widespread acclaim in the process.
Sadly, a statement from Scott Walker’s record label 4AD has now confirmed that the musician passed away today at the age of 76.
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Scott Walker. Scott was 76 years old and is survived by his daughter, Lee, his granddaughter, Emmi-Lee, and his partner Beverly: https://t.co/awaFXWOkja pic.twitter.com/nd6MYVmWaO
— 4AD (@4AD_Official) March 25, 2019
“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Scott Walker,” the statement reads. “Scott was 76 years old and is survived by his daughter, Lee, his granddaughter, Emmi-Lee, and his partner Beverly.”
“For half a century, the genius of the man born Noel Scott Engel has enriched the lives of thousands, first as one third of The Walker Brothers, and later as a solo artist, producer and composer of uncompromising originality.”
“Scott Walker has been a unique and challenging titan at the forefront of British music: audacious and questioning, he has produced works that dare to explore human vulnerability and the godless darkness encircling it.”
Although a cause of death is yet to be announced, a number of musicians have come forward to pay tribute to the late icon, including Radiohead’s Thom Yorke.
“He was a huge influence on Radiohead and myself, showing me how I could use my voice and words,” Yorke wrote on Twitter. “Met him once at Meltdown, such a kind gentle outsider. He will be very missed.”
Scott Walker released his most recent album, Soused, in 2014. A collaboration with US drone metal band Sunn O))), the record opened up his work to a wider audience who may not have heard of him previously.
In 2016 and 2018, Walker worked on the soundtracks to films such as The Childhood of a Leader and Vox Lux.
Our thoughts go out to the family of Scott Walker at this difficult time.
Check out Scott Walker’s ’30 Century Man’:
