budgie

Burke Shelley from Budgie R.I.P.

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Budgie founder and bassist Burke Shelley has died aged 71.

The news was confirmed by his daughter on Facebook. In a message on the Budgie fan page, she wrote: “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”. Budgie were founded in 1967 by Shelley, Tony Bourge and Ray Phillips and went on to release 10 albums over an 11-year period.

Chris Meachen… Oh, that’s a damned shame. Had some great times with him & the band…

Clare Bennett… Sad

Huggy Leaver… Remember them being supported by the Pistols i think, great band, sad RIP

Allan Mitchell… This Is Really Sad News I Saw Them On Hastings Pier Early 80s A Great Man will Be Sorely Missed R.i.p Burke

Alan Esdaile… Sad news. All the band were really nice guys and should have been bigger than they were.

Iain Cobby… RIP Burke, great band and really underrated. saw them supporting Genesis on the Pier in the 70’s and bought the Album

Tracy Birrell… So sorry to hear. I saw them on Hastings Pier.

Budgie – Breadfan

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Thanks to Pete Fisher for suggesting this.

Pete Fisher… throwback to 1973, and a trio I was lucky to catch live a couple of times on Hastings Pier and quite a few others will remember…about seven years later I became a big fan of Rush, and Budgie’s bassist Burke Shelley bears some resemblance to Rush’s Geddy Lee, both in voice and appearance…the riff here reminded me of Motörhead, and again Budgie’s guitarist Tony Bourge made me think of Phil Campbell, who also happens to be Welsh…

Alan Esdaile… wonderful, many happy memories of seeing Budgie and still can’t understand why they were never a bigger and more successful band.

Pete Fisher… the vagaries of the music biz, lack of support from their management/label?? just checked Wikipedia, and they went on gigging right up to 2010, with only Burke Shelley left from the original line-up…he’s had to stop due to illness.

Budgie – Battle Memorial Hall 2005

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supplied by Andy Baldock.

Budgie Battle001

supplied by Eric Cawthraw

Andy Baldock….came across this earlier today.Not as old as most of the stuff that appears on here,but its the best I can do

Andy Gunton….I was there too & wrote a review of the gig for the Hastings Observer.

Michael Mepham….I was there yayyyy! Burke Shelley broke 2 bass strings but didn’t have a spare. Fun though wasn’t it!  Great live band.

Bernard Jeffery….it was bloody loud lol

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Andy Qunta….Great to hear Budgie kept on rockin’!

Eric Cawthraw… Having just posted the Budgie ticket reminds me of what John Lydon is reputed to have said about their gig on the Pier with Budgie, it went something like: ” Budgie were crap and we were even worse!” That is damn clever in its way. Still, respect to Mr. L, like me he is a fan of Third World War, as is Pete Townsend.