UFO Guitarist/Keyboardist Paul Raymond Dies
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Paul Raymond at his final concert at the O2 Forum in London, April 5, 2019 (Photo via UFO Facebook page)
Paul Raymond, the guitarist and keyboardist for the British rock band UFO died Saturday, April 13, of a heart attack. He had performed with the group as recently as April 5 in London during their 50th anniversary tour. The news of Raymond’s death was revealed by his life partner, Sandra, on his Facebook page. He was 73.
Raymond joined UFO in 1976 after starting his career as a jazz musician. Before joining the band, he was a member of the British blues band Plastic Penny, replacing their keyboardist, Christine Perfect. (She later joined another British blues-rock band, Fleetwood Mac, and changed her name when she married John McVie.)
Their lineup includes original members Phil Mogg (vocals) and Andy Parker (drums), as well as Vinnie Moore (lead guitar), who joined in 2003, and Rob De Luca (bass guitar), a member since 2012.
Here’s Sandra’s heartfelt message: Hi to all the fans and people who knew Paul! With a desperate and broken heart, fully in tears and pains that feel like they will kill me I have to tell you that my most beautiful and beloved darling Paul Raymond has passed away today. The doctors were trying to reanimate him and with success at first but then his system shot down again and there was nothing more they could do for him, he died of a heart attack.
He absolutely enjoyed the last couple of weeks touring with UFO in the UK & Ireland and he was looking forward to the rest of this year’s tour.
I will always love him and I hope he will rest in piece until I’ll see him again on the other side!!!
I love you so much Paul 💔😪 Sandra
The April 5 concert was the final show of a 23-date 50th anniversary tour of the U.K. and Ireland.
Watch UFO perform “Doctor Doctor” at the April 5 concert
UFO was formed in London in 1969. They became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal. Over a career spanning 50 years, UFO has released 22 studio albums, 14 live recordings and 16 compilation albums.
Raymond was born November 16, 1945, in Hertfordshire, England. After leaving the band Chicken Shack, he was a member of Savoy Brown for a while, before joining UFO.
They achieved success with several albums and singles in the U.K. and U.S., and have sold over 10 million records worldwide. UFO is considered one of the classic hard rock acts, and were ranked #84 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.”
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationWell this news just sucks. I don’t know what to say. Carry on Paul.