Guitarist and producer Robin George, best known for his 1985 song Heartline, and his work with Robert Plant and Glenn Hughes, has died at the age of 68.
The news was announced in a statement on his website, which said: “On Friday April 26 at 11:45 our beautiful Robin left this world and flew away to the next life, where we hope he’s partying with the family, friends, and musicians he loved and lost over the years. Robin had been fighting a long illness but by Christmas, it became obvious that he was not long for this world.
“He was devastated when he was no longer able to play his beloved guitars but he continued to write songs, do interviews, make videos, and tell his story on Facebook and through his biography.
“He desperately wanted his music to live on because music was in his heart and soul. Robin leaves behind his adored wife, four beloved children, two beautiful sisters, nine lovely grandchildren, many dear friends and the animal family that he rescued over the years. We are devastated because there will never be another Robin George. LovePower with you always. You're with your angels now.”
George was born in 1956 in Wolverhampton, UK. His solo work is often overlooked in favor of his collaborations and his ability to write songs that brought the best out of his collaborators.
However, his solo discography, which includes six full-length albums and the UK top 70 single Heartline, from his debut album Dangerous Music, showcases the best of his guitar work. A Kerrang! cover feature from 1982, where he can be seen holding a BC Rich guitar once owned by Slade, described him as “The Axe of Tomorrow.”
Over his vast and varied career, George produced and engineered singles and albums by Quartz, Wrathchild, Witchfinder General, Tony Clarkin of Magnum, and Diamond Head. He also wrote with Uriah Heep’s Pete Goalby, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple's Glenn Hughes, and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.
In an interview with Dmme.net, George summed up his unique approach to guitar playing and music: “As a guitarist, my inspiration wasn’t The Beatles, although my first guitar – a Christmas present from my parents when I was about eight – had their pictures on it, but blues players like Johnny Winter and Peter Green.
“I thought Zeppelin I was a fantastic album and I still do, but bands with great guitar players like Cream, The Kinks and, of course, Hendrix always interested me most. The early Fleetwood Mac stuff is fabulous – I was listening to it as a kid, at school, and thought, ‘Bloody hell! How does this man make a guitar sing like that?’ Which is more the style of my playing now: it’s more about feeling.
“There was no particular influence. I somehow developed my own style, and this works against me in lot of ways, because I don’t sound like anybody else. I could still play a million notes at a million miles per minute, but these days I’d rather play one note that matters.”
