American music legend Scott Walker, whose near six-decade career spanned teen pop and avant-garde experimentation, has died. The singer-songwriter has influenced artists such as David Bowie, Marc Almond and Radiohead.
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"For half a century, the genius of the man born Noel Scott Engel has enriched the lives of thousands," Scott Walker's music label, 4AD, stated on its website following the passing of Scott Walker on March 25.
The Ohio-born musician was a "solo artist, producer and composer of uncompromising originality," the statement added. "Audacious and questioning, he has produced works that dare to explore human vulnerability and the godless darkness encircling it."
Rise and decline
Rising to fame as the frontman of 1960s pop trio The Walker Brothers, which produced mega hits such as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" after moving to the UK from LA, Scott Walker left the band in 1967 to hone a more experimental solo career.
A friend of and early influence on David Bowie, who once described Walker as his "idol," Walker's first eponymous solo albums, Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3, were again major hits. But Walker's ultimate success would be to inspire generations of singers and songwriters with a darker sound that echoed the dramatic, cabaret-like compositions of French singer Jacques Brel.
With orchestral backing, Walker evolved his trademark baritone voice that was partly inspired by crooner Frank Sinatra, the musician told Jarvis Cocker of the band Pulp in an interview on BBC radio in 2017.
But Walker was never comfortable in the limelight, turning to alcohol and producing a series of poorly received covers albums in the early 1970s. The enigmatic musician did not release any original material at the time, and despite making more records with The Walker Brothers in the mid-1970s, largely remained in obscurity until 1984's Climate of the Hunter, his first solo album in a decade.
Despite his prolific output, Scott Walker spent long periods in the musical wilderness Image: picture alliance / Photoshot
Late career revival
Now signed to Virgin Records, Scott Walker was enjoying a renaissance among music aficionados after the release of the best-of record, Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker,in 1981 that charted well in the UK.
Despite poor sales and further periods of recluse in the 1980s, Walker's critical standing continued to grow with the release of another compilation album, No Regrets – The Best of Scott Walkerand The Walker Brothers 1965 – 1976, in 1992, which went top 5 on the UK albums chart. His avant-garde, neo-classical 1995 album Tilt pushed Walker into bold new music terrain and garnered further acclaim.
Following his next album 11 years later, The Drift, another critical success, the documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, which included interviews with David Bowie and bands like Radiohead, solidified the Walker legend. The title of the 2006 documentary refers to a Walker song that was included in the soundtrack of Wes Anderson's film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), which also contributed to renewing interest in the singer.
After Walker's death was announced Monday, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke tweeted that Scott Walker was "a huge influence on Radiohead and myself, showing me how I could use my voice and words."
Former Soft Cell singer Marc Almond also paid tribute to Walker on Twitter and Instagram, writing that he was "absolutely saddened shocked by [his] death."
Since the release of his final solo record in 2012, Walker continued his prolific output, including film scores for director Brady Corbet (including The Childhood of a Leader) and collaborations with diverse musicians including American dark ambient metal duo, Sunn O))).
Posthumous albums reveal unique music history
When musicians die, their fans want to keep their memories alive. It's not unusual that posthumous albums are released, even decades after the musician's passing.
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Frank Zappa's last masterpiece
The legendary American musician's last studio album "Dance Me This" was considered lost before it was finally released in 2015, 22 years after Zappa's death. In 1993, Zappa described the record as "a Synclavier album" that was designed "to be used by modern dance groups." Was it locked away for so long due to its complexity? Only his hardcore fans will probably find it appealing.
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Michael Jackson's secret treasures
The "King of Pop" left behind over 100 unpublished songs, which is a lot of material for those who control the estate. A year after Jackson's death in 2009, the first record "Michael" was released, containing songs pieced together from vocal and track recordings. In 2014, "Xscape" came out with additional unreleased tracks. Both albums received good reviews and placed well in the charts.
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Jeff Buckley, singer-songwriter icon of the 1990s
When it comes to the best cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," most would agree: that of Jeff Buckley. The American singer-songwriter was working on his second album when he drowned during a freak accident in the Mississippi River in 1997. His mother assembled the previously recorded material, releasing the album "Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk" in 1998.
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Janis Joplin's gem
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David Bowie's unknown soul album
David Bowie recorded an album in 1974 that was atypical of his style. It was titled "The Gouster," which he never released. The songs landed in his archives or on various special editions. Following his death in 2016, a box set called "Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976)" was released. Among the 10 discs was "The Gouster" — flawless 1970s funk & soul sound, with a whole lot of "Dance Dance Dance."
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Natalie Cole and her father
Natalie Cole made an "Unforgettable" tribute to her famous father Nat King Cole in 1991. Herself already a notable soul and jazz singer, she took the recording he originally made in 1951 and reworked it, adding her voice to create a duet with her father, who died in 1965.
Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry
"Chuck" was the title of the last album by the musician, released just a few months after his death in 2017. The album before that dated back to 1979. In the nearly 40 years in-between, the musician said he preferred playing on stage rather than in the studio. He was 90 years old when he passed away.
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Amy Winehouse goes jazz
Her family considers "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" Amy's best album. The 12 tracks on this album released in 2011 include jazz standards, such as "Girl from Ipanema" and "Body And Soul," which she sang together with crooner legend Tony Bennett, as well as till then unreleased original compositions. It reached top spots on the charts.
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Falco forever
Three albums were released following Austrian singer Falco's fatal car accident in 1998. "Out Of The Dark (Into The Light)" came out just three weeks after his death. One year later came "Verdammt, wir leben noch," with material from 1987-1995. Then followed "The Spirit Never Dies" with songs from the 1987 "Wiener Blut" sessions.
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The Johnny Cash album just had to be
"American VI: Ain't No Grave" from 2010 was the sixth and last of Cash's "American Recordings" series. The tracks were recorded between May 2003 and September, the month he died. He was, by that time, already severely ill, nearly blind, and relegated to a wheelchair. The songs — cover versions and previously unreleased original compositions — speak of pain, transience and deliverance.
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Prince songs one may never hear
The EP "Deliverance," with six recordings, was supposed to be released in 2017, to mark the first anniversary of the musician's death. However, Prince's estate was granted a temporary restraining order to halt its release. Prince had previously laid out that his songs would not be tampered with after his death. The title song "Deliverance" is all that remains.
