A Farewell to Lucifer’s Friend: John Lawton passed away last week: tomorrow would have been his 75th birthday. His deat…

A Farewell to Lucifer’s Friend: John Lawton passed away last week: tomorrow would have been his 75th birthday. His death, combined with the passing of Dieter Horns several months earlier, closes the final chapter in the long and winding story of Lucifer’s Friend – an enigmatic, sophisticated, and always adventurous progressive artistic entity. In addition to his work with Lucifer’s Friend, John Lawton’s passionate, vigorous delivery made a dramatic impression on many during his stint with Uriah Heep in the late 70s (certainly greatly impacting me personally), and his demise marks a loss of one of the most powerful and enduring voices in hard rock. It also leaves Mick Box and Paul Newton as the last men standing of the classic Heep lineups, with no less than seven key members of the band now deceased:( We were fortunate to witness what turned out to be the band’s final performance at the Hammer of Doom festival in Wurzburg, 11/17/2017 (reported in the earlier posts) – an absolutely spellbinding, remarkable set. Lawton’s vocal projection and ardor were surreal. Sharing this unique experience with such lifelong veteran admirers of the band as Rob, Greg, and Tim carried a great insight, and it was a pleasure to meet likeminded diehards from my generation, like the indomitable @arcadius667…Exchanging words and shaking hands with John Lawton, Dieter Horns, and Peter Hesslein after the set now doesn’t even seem real – like a blur from a film or a distant dream…All I can say, is that I feel lucky and privileged to be a recipient of some rarely real earnest art. #lucifersfriend #johnlawton #dieterhorns #peterhesslein #peterhecht #hammerofdoom #hammerofdoomfestival #uriahheep #kenhensley #leekerslake #trevorbolder #johnwetton #garythain #davidbyron