Andy Gill, ‘uncompromising’ guitarist for British punk band Gang of Four, has died
- Gill died after a brief respiratory illness in New York
- There was an outpouring of tributes for the guitarist from other musicians
Guitarist Andy Gill, who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fuelled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four, died Saturday, according to a statement from the band. He was 64.
Gill died after a brief respiratory illness. “His uncompromising artistic vision and commitment to the cause meant that he was still listening to mixes for the upcoming record, whilst planning the next tour from his hospital bed,” the band said.
Gill, along with original bandmates Jon King, Hugo Burnham and Dave Allen released in 1979 one of the most seminal albums of the punk era, “Entertainment!” It was named by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003 as one of the 500 greatest albums ever.
Tributes were posted online from Gary Numan, who called Gill “a unique talent”, to Tom Morello, who called Gill “one of my principal influences” and hailed his “incendiary art and wry wit”.
Gill was also a respected record producer, notably working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their self-titled debut in 1984. Other bands he produced include The Jesus Lizard, the Stranglers and Killing Joke.