Bernie Marsden whitesnake dead, English rock and blues guitarist death

Bernie Marsden is an English rock and blues guitarist, born in Buckingham, England. A professional musician since 1972, he is best known for his collaborations with Whitesnake, writing or co-writing many of the group’s hits, most notably the US #1 hit “Here I Go Again” . Bernie is also considered one of the greatest rock and blues guitarists of all time.

After forming several early teenage bands, he formed Skinny Cat at the age of 17 and gained a strong local fan base. In 1972, he turned UFO pro. His fan base continues to grow throughout Europe. In 1973 he left UFO to join Glenn Cornick’s Wild Turkey, toured the UK and Europe and recorded his first BBC recording. He was “poached” by legendary drummer Cozy Powell to join his new band, Hammer, which also included Deep Purple’s Don Airey. Hammer didn’t last long, recording only top ten hits for Mickie Most’s RAK label and going on an infamous UK tour with Suzi Quattro. Next up was Babe Ruth, who produced two albums for Capitol Records. In 1977, Cozy Powell recommended him to a new band, Paice Ashton Lord. They were joined by Deep Purple founding members Ian Paice and Jon Lord. There’s a classic shot, “Maliciousness in Wonderland,” and then it’s over.

Bernie’s next outing would be a defining moment in his career – he joined the White Snakes and formed Coverdale with David. A chance to play with his childhood idol Paul McCartney and Wings, but while waiting, he meets David Coverdale and the rest is history…

Bernie played on the first EP, five albums and one live album: Snakebite (1978), Trouble (1978), Lovehunter (1979), Ready & Willing (1980), Live In The Heart Of The City (1980) , Come An’ “Get It” (1981) and “Saints and Sinners.” There are also two solo albums “And About Time Too”, which reached the top ten in the Japanese charts! The sequel is “Look at Me Now”. His time at Whitesnake and his song legacy remain at the forefront of his musical career.

After leaving Whitesnake in 1981, Marsden formed Alaska, recorded two albums in the 1980s, and briefly formed MGM with Neil Murray and Mel Galley. The group also included Toto singer Bobby Kimball.

Different versions of Whitesnake-based music followed until the 1990s, when the “Company of Snakes and M3” produced several albums. Bernie then became a solo artist and produced several CD albums, including the critically acclaimed Green and Blues in 1996, followed by Big Boy Blue, Stacks, Bernie Plays Rory.

At the Swedish Rock Festival in 2011, Bernie Marsden performed with White Snake for the first time since 1981, becoming the only original member of White Snake to play in a later line-up, a situation not seen since Sweden It has happened many times.