As The Age reported this morning (via Pitchfork), former guitarist and Nick Cave collaborator from the Birthday Party and the Boys Next Door Rowland S. Howard has died of liver cancer while on a waiting list for a liver transplant. He was 50.
Former bandmate Mick Harvey spoke publicly about the sad news, saying, “Sometimes people are ready to go because they have been sick for a long time, but Rowland really wanted to live.”
Now Nick Cave has also released a statement, via the Birthday Party’s label, Mute Records: “This is very sad news,” stated Cave. “Rowland was Australia’s most unique, gifted and uncompromising guitarist. He was also a good friend. He will be missed by many.”
Memorials and essays on Howard’s undeniably vital influence on music will be circulating shortly, but in the meantime, check out The Age’s obituary here and LA Weekly’s video-heavy remembrance here.