Karl Wallinger, ex-member of The Waterboys and inventive power behind World Celebration, dies

LONDON — Karl Wallinger, the multi-instrumentalist and solo power behind the band World Celebration and former member of The Waterboys, has died.

Wallinger, 66, handed away Sunday, his publicist stated. No reason behind demise was introduced.

Wallinger had labored as musical director for a manufacturing of “The Rocky Horror Present” in London’s West Finish when he was recruited on keyboards for The Waterboys in 1983, taking part in synthesizer and singing backup vocals on their most commercially profitable music, “The Complete of the Moon.”

Waterboys founder Mike Scott known as him “one of many best musicians I’ve ever identified” in a submit Monday on X, previously Twitter. “Journey on nicely my previous buddy,” he stated.

Artistic variations with Scott led Wallinger to go his personal means in 1985 to start out World Celebration, the place he created a sound infused with influences of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Sly Stone.

“It simply turned apparent that it wasn’t going to go wherever than the place it’s gone,” Wallinger instructed Penny Black Music in 2022 interview. “(Mike Scott) was controlling, and that was it, he wasn’t into doing something collectively.”

World Celebration was higher obtained critically than commercially and regardless of touchdown a number of tunes on the pop music charts, it was extra embraced by different radio.

“Ship of Fools” reached No. 5 on Billboard’s mainstream rock chart within the U.S. in 1987. “Method Down Now,” went to No. 1 on the Billboard different chart within the U.S. in 1990. “Is it Like At this time” was his largest hit within the U.Ok., reaching No. 19 in 1993. Wallinger’s music “She’s the One” turned a No. 1 single for Robbie Williams in 1999.

Wallinger labored on Sinéad O’Connor’s debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, and she or he lent her vocals to his second album, “Goodbye Jumbo,” which was nominated for a Grammy for greatest different music efficiency. Q Journal named Jumbo is 1990 album of the yr.

Wallinger was one among many artists who recorded with Peter Gabriel for his Huge Blue Ball album.

Gabriel stated on X that he was shocked and saddened to be taught of the demise. He stated he admired Wallinger’s work from afar however reached a brand new stage of appreciation once they labored collectively on what he stated was probably the most artistic and enjoyable week he ever had within the studio.

“Karl was overflowing with fantastic musical concepts that blew us all away, all delivered with horrible jokes that had us laughing uncontrollably all day and night time,” Gabriel stated. “He was such a gifted, pure author and participant, it was a faucet that he might activate at will, effortlessly.”

Mike Andrews of Allow Music, an artist administration firm within the U.Ok., who labored with Wallinger on a pair albums, known as him a “genius who was by no means appreciated as broadly as (he) ought to have been.”

Wallinger served as musical director for the 1994 Ben Stiller-directed movie “Actuality Bites,” starring Ethan Hawke and Winona Ryder.

Wallinger grew up in Prestatyn, Wales, the place as a teen he performed in PAX, a punk band with Nigel Twist and Dave Sharp, who would go on to kind The Alarm. Twist recalled on Instagram that they might hammer out tunes within the loft of Wallinger’s dwelling.

Twist known as him “a rare expertise, gifted singer/songwriter and multi-talented musician and producer.”

“His songs by no means fail to achieve deep inside and contact your soul,” Twist stated. “Regardless of how you are feeling, his music would fill you with pleasure and hope and above all, love, for a greater world.”

In 2001, Wallinger had a mind aneurysm and spent years studying learn how to communicate once more and play devices. He returned to touring 5 years later however by no means launched any extra albums.

Throughout his Penny Black Music interview, Wallinger stated William’s hit cowl of “She’s the One” had rescued him financially after his well being setback.

“It was fortunate for me that he did it, as a result of he stored us all in biscuits,” Wallinger stated. “All the pieces would have modified; I’d have needed to have offered the children. Removed the home and dismantle every little thing.”

Wallinger is survived by his spouse Suzie Zamit, son Louis Wallinger, daughter Nancy Zamit and two grandchildren.