BUDGIE vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley has died at the age of 71.
The news of his death was shared earlier today by his daughter Ela who posted on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father, John Burke Shelley. He passed away this evening in his sleep at Heath Hospital in Cardiff, his birth town. He was 71 years old. Please respect the family during this time.
“With love, His four children: Ela, Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel.”
Shelley had been afflicted by Stickler Syndrome, a congenital condition that impairs the body’s production of collagen, a substance crucial for healthy tissue, in the eyes, the arteries etc.
Two years ago, Shelley revealed that he had suffered an aortic aneurysm, which is an abnormal swelling of the main artery that supplies blood to the body.
“I want to live what life I have left and not be crippled,” he said. “I’ve got faith in God and have no worries about where I’m going. So I’ll just go when He decides to take me and, in the meantime, I’ll carry on doing what I want to do. Simple as that.”
Shelley said the surgery he had in 2010 for aortic aneurysm resulted in damage to his diaphragm, leaving him unable to sing properly.
BUDGIE was originally formed in 1967 in Cardiff, Wales by Shelley (vocals, bass), Tony Bourge (guitar) and Ray Phillips (drums). This lineup released three of the group’s most notorious albums — 1971’s self-titled debut, 1972’s “Squawk” and 1973’s “Never Turn Your Back On A Friend”.