He shared his cancer diagnosis earlier this year (Picture: Adam Berry/Redferns via Getty Images)
Kim Simmonds, the influential blues musician behind British band Savoy Brown, has died at the age of 75 after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
The announcement of his death was made on the band’s Facebook page, as a tribute post read: ‘Kim Simmonds passed away peacefully in the evening of December 13th – may he rest in peace.’
A picture posted in his honour also bore a caption featuring the lyrics from Savoy Brown’s song All I Can Do, which read: ‘You’ve gone away. I’ll get by somehow. Just right now. All I can do is cry.’
‘Please note one of Kim’s last requests was to thank fans of Savoy Brown – your support was, and shall always be, immensely appreciated,’ the message said.
In another Facebook post, the person who runs the band’s page on the social media platform said the ‘last few days and weeks have been especially difficult’ as they knew that ‘the inevitable was coming soon’.
‘I can say that Kim was writing and recording music until just before Thanksgiving. He was working on a solo album project that featured him on harmonica instead of the guitar since he’d lost the ability to play guitar due to chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. You would have loved it,’ they said.
Simmonds performing with Savoy Brown vocalist Ralph Morman in 1981 (Picture: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
‘Of course, be on the lookout for the last Savoy Brown album to be released early in 2023.’
The statement continued: ‘At this time, please allow the Savoy Brown family some time to come to grips with the loss of Kim. As he always said, we hope his music “makes your life a little sweeter”.’
Savoy Brown, originally known as Savoy Brown Blues Band, was formed in 1965 in Battersea, London.
Savoy Brown had a variety of members over the years, but Simmonds remained a committed bandmate from the start (Picture: Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Simmonds was the only band member to remain a part of the group all the way from the beginning until his death.
The group specialised in blues rock music, gaining renown in the US.
The band went through several iterations, with original members including lead vocalist Brice Portius, bassist Ray Chappell, keyboardist Trevor Jeavons, harmonica player John O’Leary and drummer Leo Mannings.
In August this year, Simmonds announced on the Savoy Brown website that he had been receiving chemotherapy for stage four colon cancer.
‘I’ve had to cancel the remaining gigs for this year so I think this is a good time to let everyone know what is going on. For close to a year now I’ve been battling stage 4 colon cancer,’ he wrote at the time.
Simmonds played with the band for over 50 years (Picture: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for IEBA)
‘I was diagnosed with “signet cell” colon cancer (SCCC). It’s a very rare form that accounts for no more than 1% of cases. SCCC is rarely found early enough to provide a chance for cure.
‘I’ve been receiving Chemotherapy and that has made it hard for me to play gigs. One of the side effects is peripheral neuropathy which has now deadened the nerves in my fingers and hands (feet too).’
Simmonds shared that chemotherapy had kept him going ‘with a decent quality of life’, adding that he was ‘very grateful for that’, as well as the ‘superb health care’ he’d received and the ‘unending support of my wife, family and friends’.
‘Luckily there is a new album coming out in a few months time that I was able to finish back in the spring. Some of the tracks were “in the bag” prior to my illness. I also switched to slide guitar on others which was, and is, easier to play with my current condition. I’m super happy with all the songs and I believe you will be too upon listening,’ he said.
He is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his daughter, Eve.
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Messages of condolence have poured in for the late guitarist.
