Bernie Marsden, the original guitarist of the immensely popular 1980s hair metal group Whitesnake, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 72. The initial announcement came from former bandmate and lead singer of Whitesnake, David Coverdale, and was subsequently confirmed by a statement from Marsden's family. He was 72 years old.Born in Buckingham, England in 1951, Marsden's musical journey took him through several notable bands, including UFO and Paice Ashton Lord, before achieving international recognition in 1978. This was when he co-founded Whitesnake (originally known as "David Coverdale’s Whitesnake") alongside guitarist Micky Moody and David Coverdale, who had recently departed from Deep Purple.Reflecting on his time performing with Whitesnake, Marsden remarked, "Certain moments in your career feel like turning points. As I played, I observed everything happening around me, thinking: 'This is the band you always dreamed of being part of.'"Marsden continued his tenure with Whitesnake until 1982, contributing to the creation of some of the band's most iconic tracks, including "Fool for Your Loving" and "Here I Go Again." The latter, arguably Whitesnake's most recognizable hit, was re-recorded for the band's 1987 album "Whitesnake," released after Marsden's departure.In an interview with Louder, Marsden revealed that it took less than a day to write the song, which went on to claim the number one spot on the U.S. singles chart and remained in the top 10 for several weeks. Marsden shared, "It maybe took two hours. Everything fell into place quite rapidly. When I played it for David, he became really enthusiastic. He went to his room, reworked and restructured the lyrics. I had no issue with that at all, as that's how we collaborated back then, on an equal fifty-fifty basis."Following his time with Whitesnake, Marsden embarked on various solo endeavors and collaborated with luminaries such as Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Jon Lord, Ringo Starr, Rory Gallagher, Jack Bruce, and Warren Haynes, as highlighted by Guitar World. He penned an autobiography titled "Where’s My Guitar: An Inside Story of British Rock and Roll," published in 2017.His most recent album, "Trios," was released in August 2022, as noted by Billboard. In the same year, Marsden underwent surgery and faced health challenges, including a bout of "acute dehydration," as he explained in a statement shared on social media last August. These difficulties led to the cancellation of a planned tour in late 2022, and it seems that he did not return to touring.Coverdale announced Marsden's passing on Friday, describing him as "a genuinely funny, gifted man." Marsden's family subsequently confirmed the news on Instagram, stating, "Bernie passed away peacefully on Thursday evening with his wife, Fran, and daughters, Charlotte and Olivia, by his side. Bernie's passion for music, songwriting, and recording continued until the end."When asked in 2020 about his achievements, Marsden emphasized the significance of having dedicated fans for a musician, regarding them as crucial as skill and fortuity. He shared with Louder, "I believe that if you possess the talent, luck will eventually favor you. All I've ever aimed to do is perform with as much authenticity as possible, because without the individuals who invest in concert tickets, there would be nothing left.
