Guitarist and Founding Member of The Clash, Keith Levene, Died At 65

Keith Levene was an English musician, who was a founding member of both The Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL).

The Clash’s founding member Keith Levene passes away at age 65.

At the age of 65, Keith Levene, a renowned guitarist and founding member of both the Clash and Public Image Ltd, passed away. Levene, who had liver cancer, passed away at his Norfolk home and had a profound impact on British rock music.

The death is the second well-known rock musician to pass away in the last 24 hours. Nik Turner, the co-founder of the British space rock band Hawkwind, passed away on Friday at the age of 82, according to a spokeswoman.

 The multi-instrumentalist from Oxford died away quietly at home, according to a social media post announcing the news. It continued, “He has gone onto the next part of his cosmic journey, accompanied by the love of his family, friends, and admirers.”

Keith Levene became a fan of progressive rock at a young age, working as a roadie for Yes on their Close to the Edge tour when he was fifteen. He joined The Clash and The Flowers of Romance as a founding member in 1976. Levene was instrumental in convincing Joe Strummer to leave the 101ers and join the Clash.

What’s My Name

Despite the fact that he left The Clash before they began recording, he co-wrote “What’s My Name,” which appeared on their debut album. After the disbanding of the British punk band Sex Pistols in the late 1970s, Levene and the band’s lead singer, John Lydon, co-founded Public Image Ltd.

He used Travis Bean metal-neck guitars to perform. He helped write, perform, and produce PiL’s first three albums, First Issue, Metal Box, and Flowers of Romance.

Levene quit PiL in 1983 due to creative disputes with the band’s fourth album, This Is What You Want… This Is What You Get. He released the original versions of the songs on his own label in 1984 under the title Commercial Zone, which was the album’s working title at the time.

He relocated to Los Angeles in 1985, where he co-founded a firm with his second wife, journalist Shelly da Cunha. In mid-1986, Levene was requested to create demos for Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan at Master Control in Burbank with engineers Steve Catania and Dan Nebenzal.

In 1986, Levene collaborated with DJ Matt Dike on early Delicious records for Ice T and Tone Loc, exploring sampling methods and hip-hop. Violent Opposition, his debut solo effort, was published in 1989 and included members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Album Easy

Levene contributed to the album Easy Listening by industrial rock supergroup Pigface in 2003… Since then, he has released many solo recordings, including the Killer in the Crowd EP in 2004.

On 24 October 2010, Levene reconnected with former PiL bassist Jah Wobble for an unplanned performance at the Musicport Festival in Bridlington Spa, where they were accompanied by singer Nathan Maverick.

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Levene appeared on three songs on the album Psychic Life, a collaboration between Wobble and Lonelady, released in 2011. After several scheduled Japan shows were canceled due to visa concerns, Levene and Wobble performed as Metal Box in Dub in different locations in England, Wales, and Germany in early 2012. This was followed by the release of Yin & Yang, a four-song EP.

 Levene traveled to Prague in the spring of 2014 to record Commercial Zone 2014, an album supported by a crowdsourcing campaign fundraising platform called Indiegogo. Later in life, he made significant investments in Bitcoin and other kinds of cryptocurrency.

Early Life

Keith Levene was born on 18 July 1957(65 years old) in London, England. He holds British nationality and his zodiac sign is Cancer. He belongs to the white ethnicity.

Keith Levene’s father was a Jew. He was an early lover of progressive rock, working as a roadie for Yes on their Close to the Edge tour when he was fifteen.

Personal Life

Keith Levene’s wife is Shelly da Cunha. Keith Levene moved to Los Angeles in 1985, where he co-founded a business with his second wife, writer Shelly da Cunha. On the internet, there is virtually little information on Shelly da Cunha.

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