Asia Co-Founder, King Crimson Member John Wetton Dead at 67
Bassist and singer John Wetton, who served in King Crimson and co-founded the Eighties prog rock supergroup Asia, died Tuesday after a battle with colon cancer. He was 67.
According to Wetton’s personal website, health issues forced the musician to drop out of Asia’s upcoming tour with Journey. He was also preparing reissues of his solo catalog through his own Primary Purpose label. He is survived by his wife Lisa, son Dylan, brother Robert and mother Peggy.
In a statement, Asia drummer Carl Palmer (also of Emerson, Lake and Palmer), wrote: “John was a gentle person who created some of the most lasting melodies and lyrics in modern popular music. As a musician, he was both brave and innovative, with a voice that took the music of Asia to the top of the charts around the world. His ability to triumph over alcohol abuse made him an inspiration to many who have also fought that battle. For those of us who knew him and worked with him, his valiant struggle against cancer was a further inspiration. I will miss his talent, his sense of humor and his infectious smile.”
Wetton was raised in Bournemouth, England and began playing music at a young age. He learned church music on his family piano and often provided the bass parts while his brother rehearsed songs for services. As a young man, Wetton played in a handful of bands, often with friend Richard Palmer-James, whom he’d continue to work with over the next five decades.
In the early Seventies, Wetton played…
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