Burke Shelley, frontman with Welsh rock band Budgie, dies aged 71

Burke Shelley, founder, frontman and bassist with Welsh rock trio Budgie, has died aged 71. His daughter Ela Shelley introduced the information, saying he died in his sleep at a Cardiff hospital, with no explanation for loss of life said.

Born John Burke Shelley in Cardiff in 1950, Shelley fashioned Budgie in 1967 with guitarist Tony Bourge and drummer Ray Phillips. They launched their debut album in 1971, and by 1974 they'd reached the UK High 30 with their fourth album In for the Kill!

Powered by Shelley’s outstanding, high-pitched singing voice, the band married blues to a galloping heavy rock sound alongside friends corresponding to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, and helped to pioneer the heavy steel that flourished within the 70s and 80s – although they had been additionally given to quieter moments of pristine magnificence. Their most celebrated music Breadfan, from 1973’s By no means Flip Your Again on a Pal, mixed each moods in a single music – it was steadily lined by Metallica in stay reveals, with a model included on their compilation Storage Inc. Soundgarden, Van Halen, Megadeth and Iron Maiden would additionally go on to cowl Budgie songs.

Burke Shelley, left, with Tony Bourge and Pete Boot of Budgie, in 1974.
Burke Shelley, left, with Tony Bourge and Pete Boot of Budgie, in 1974. Photograph: Ian Dickson/Rex / Shutterstock

Budgie had been additionally identified for humorous and vivid music titles corresponding to You’re the Greatest Factor Since Powdered Milk and Within the Grip of a Tyrefitter’s Hand, and equally hanging album artwork, with fantastical vistas by Roger Dean (additionally identified for his sleeves for Sure and others).

The band noticed their success wane considerably within the late 70s as their lineup – all the time that includes Shelley – steadily modified, however they'd a second flush of fame within the early Eighties as the brand new wave of British heavy steel they helped to encourage got here to fruition. The albums Nightflight and Ship Us from Evil returned them to the UK charts, and so they supported Ozzy Osbourne’s debut solo tour throughout Europe in 1980.

Their profession waned once more within the mid-80s and the band solely sometimes toured in the course of the subsequent 20 years, however re-formed to document a last album, You’re All Residing in Cuckooland, in 2006.

Shelley suffered from a lot of well being circumstances in later life. In addition to having connective tissue dysfunction Stickler syndrome, an emergency coronary heart operation in 2010 broken his singing voice, and his proper leg was injured throughout surgical procedure.

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