Trevor Bolder, bassist on David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars who later joined the band Uriah Heep, has died at the age of 62.
The news of Trevor Bolder’s death was posted to David Bowie’s official Facebook page, in which the star (or his social media manager) announced that Bolder had succumbed to cancer.
In a statement made to Facebook, Bowie described Bolder as a capable musician second and a “great man” first, and the post to fans began:
“Sad to report that Trevor Bolder has succumbed to his fight with cancer at the age of 62… The Uriah Heep bassist was probably best known to Bowie fans for his work across four Bowie studio albums: Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and Pin Ups .”
The Facebook statement continued:
“Trevor also played bass as one of The Spiders From Mars on the attendant Bowie tours along with fellow Spiders, Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey and the late Mick Ronson.”
Bowie was quoted as saying:
“Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man.”
Spin quotes Uriah Heep in a statement acknowledging Bolder’s death, reading:
“Trevor was an all-time great, one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, and one of the finest and most influential bass players that Britain ever produced. His long-time membership of Uriah Heep brought the band’s music, and Trevor’s virtuosity and enthusiasm, to hundreds of thousands of fans across the world.”
Joe Elliott of Def Leppard was quoted as saying :
“… it’s devastating because we were looking forward to finishing up some new Cybernauts recording pretty soon, that may now not happen, but our real thoughts right now are with his family. TB was one of the good guys, I’m sure Mick Box & the guys in Heep feel the same way, we have lost a brother, a great bass player, a funny, funny man who lit up any room he walked into. I guess now, him & Ronno have a bit of catching up to do… RIP my friend.”
Uriah Heep bandmates say they are “numb to the core” at news of Trevor Bolder’s death.
