Bernie Marsden is dead
Whitesnake guitarist dies at 72
Bernie Marsden was 72 years old.
© Keith Mayhew/Landmark Media/ImageCollect
Mourning for Bernie Marsden. The former Whitesnake guitarist has died at the age of 72, his family said.
Bernie Marsden (1951-2023) is dead. The former guitarist of the hit group Whitesnake died on August 24 at the age of 72. He “died peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife Fran and daughters Charlotte and Olivia by his side.” wrote his family on Instagram. “Bernie never lost his passion for music, writing and recording new songs until the end.”
World famous for the hit “Here I Go Again”
Marsden, who was born in Buckingham in 1951, first joined various rock groups in the 1970s, including former Deep Purple members Paice Ashton Lord. Marsden founded Whitesnake in 1978 together with former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale (71) and guitarist Micky Moody (72).
His playing could be heard on the band’s first five albums. He co-wrote many of the group’s best-known hits during this period. These include “Fool for Your Loving”, “She’s a Woman” and the international chart success “Here I Go Again” from the album “Saints & Sinners”.
However, while still recording this album, he left the group, became a member of various combos, and also regularly released solo albums over the years. The rock and blues guitarist was also known for his extensive guitar collection, which is said to have been the envy of many of his peers.
Whitesnake bandmate David Coverdale pays tribute to the deceased
Whitesnake singer David Coverdale commemorated the deceased with a moving social media post on Friday morning. “I just woke up to the terrible news that my old friend & former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed away”, wrote Coverdale on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Marsden was a “really funny, talented man”. It was “an honor” to “know him and to be on stage with him.”