Nik Turner, the saxophonist, flautist, vocalist, and founding member of the psychedelic rock band Hawkwind has died at the age of 82, surrounded by his family.
His death was confirmed on his Facebook page and official website on Friday, November 11 with the words: "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik Turner – The Mighty Thunder Rider, who passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening. He has moved onto the next phase of his Cosmic Journey, guided by the love of his family, friends and fans." His family added funeral arrangements are still being finalised.
In a family tribute, penned by his son Elffin Farnon-Turner, he was described as "a man of the people who lived and breathed music". Born Nicholas Robert Turner on August 26, 1940 in Oxford, Turner’s family later relocated to the Kent seaside resort of Margate when he was 13. There he was exposed to rock music and the films of James Dean. After studying saxophone in his early 20s and while he started out as a roadie for Hawkwind in 1969, he soon joined the band as their saxophonist, flutist and vocalist.
Turner saw his days out in the relative peace of Carmarthenshire in west Wales with his family but that didn't stop him making music into his 80s. Indeed, his influence spanned decades as he continued to play live up until the last few years. He continued to record into his 80s, including his most personal work on the album “Do What I Like” and projects with Youth and Steve Hillman.
Speaking 10 years ago, he told writer Lynne Allbutt that he was "blessed" because he had so much time to play music and spend time in nature. He said: "I love walking and love beaches. I have always been very drawn to be in touch with the elements and their healing aspects. I meditate, don’t eat red meat and don’t drink alcohol. Nature is the future of the world. I have always been spiritual. Music is a spiritual thing, it touches people. When Hawkwind played Stonehenge at a Summer Solstice we created a ritual around the death of the old sun and the birth of the new on with the music."
He added that one of his favourite places was Mwnt: "I love the ancientness of it," he said. "I have always been interested in mythology. I recorded flute music in the Great Pyramid in Egypt which was a wonderful sound. It was later used in a recording which was based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead. I’ve written songs about Celtic mythology and am currently being inspired by Mayan mythology and the South American culture."
Elffin said: "Turner's death marks the end of an era for one of the most innovative and influential bands in rock history. Nik Turner will be remembered as a true pioneer whose contributions helped shape Hawkwind's sound and countless other artists who followed in their wake."
Hawkwind have been widely credited as pioneering in the punk music scene. The family tribute read: "Turner was one of the group’s earliest members and famously soared to the top of the UK charts with the seminal single ‘Silver Machine. He quickly established himself as an essential part of the group's sound, adding immersive layers of saxophone and flute to their improvised jams."
As one of the earliest psychedelic space-rock groups, Hawkwind was also Lemmy Kilmister’s band for four years before winding up in Motörhead. On Friday, the Motörhead account tweeted, “We lost Lemmy’s old bandmate Nik Turner today. Play some Hawkwind nice and loud! Brainstorm here we go!”
Turner remained with Hawkwind until 1976, rejoining between 1982 and 1984. He would go on to form his own band Nik Turner’s Sphynx, followed by Inner City Unit, then Nik Turner’s Fantastic All Stars in the late 1980s. He went on to create the Hawkwind offshoot band Space Ritual in the 2000s and then Nik Turner’s Hawkwind.
He heavily influenced many genres, including rock, punk, and psychedelic jazz, and so many musicians and artists, including Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Pete Doherty, Ozzy Osbourne, and countless more.
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