Nazareth co-founder and guitarist Manny Charlton passed away on July 5 at the age of 80. No cause of death has been revealed.
In a post on Nazareth’s website, bassist Pete Agnew said he believes Charlton’s death was “sudden and not illness related.”
“Manny was there from the beginning of Nazareth so we all came up together through the tough times and through the wonderfully successful years as the band became an international acclaimed outfit, ” said Agnew. “His contribution as a musician was immeasurable.”
He added, “Not only was he a team player who loved jamming for hours at a time with the band and then sifting through the tapes for even more hours just looking to find the tiniest unable idea, he was never happier than when he was sitting in the producer’s chair making records and searching for that special ‘racket’ (noise) as he called it, that he was always trying to create.”
Charlton, who co-founded Nazareth in 1968 with Agnew, lead singer Dan McCafferty, and drummer Darrell Sweet, producer the band’s most successful album, 1974’s Hair Of The Dog, and also worked on the Gun N’ Roses album Appetite For Destruction.
“We had our ups and downs over the years but we never once disagreed about the music,” Agnew wrote. “I would like to offer condolences on behalf of the Nazareth family to Manny’s own family… our thoughts are with you at this sad time.”
(Photo: Helge Øverås)
Source: Read Full Article