Mick Karn, bass player for seminal glam/new wave band Japan has died aged just 52. Of Greek Cypriot extraction, he was born Andonis Michaelides, with his parents moving the family to London when he was three. He put together Japan with several high school friends, including David Sylvian in 1974, quickly getting a record contract and then rising to fame in the late 70s and 80s.
In true rock n’ roll style, however, band mate Sylvian stole his girlfriend in 1982 and the band – already struggling to contain simmering tensions – fell apart. Following the split, he went on to work on projects with artists as diverse as Bauhaus’ Pete Murphy, Gary Numan, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading, as well as making a name for himself as a photographer and sculptor.
