In Memoriam: Hawkwind Bassist and Cofounder John Harrison

John HarrisonJohn Harrison, the bassist and one of the founding members for the British rock band Hawkwind, has passed away following a long battle with Huntington’s disease. He was just two days shy of reaching 70 years old.

Harrison died on May 26th, 2012, but the announcement of his passing was delayed, eventually being reported by way of the Hawkwind’s official website.

Harrison helped Hawkwind get its start in 1969, but only remained active with the band for about a year. Following his departure, the band had a long list of bassists performing with them, including Motorhead‘s Lemmy Kilmister. Hawkwind remains active today.

The group’s first record, the self-titled Hawkwind is credited by many as the first “space rock” album, paving the way for bands such as Kyuss, Muse, the Flaming Lips and others.

Harrison’s sister Franny has been sharing their stories of the bassist recently, saying he “went peacefully, after a wonderful day.”

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of John Harrison.

Get daily bass updates.

Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning.

Leave a Reply to Dave Foster Cancel reply

  1. RIP. Silver Machine was one of my favorite songs when I was a teen.

  2. It’s such a bad year for bassists. Or musicians in general.
    RIP.

  3. Very sad. RIP Mr. Harrison, and thank you.