“John Wetton sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday 31st January 2017, after a long and courageous battle against colon cancer.”
Carl Palmer posted the following tribute to John: “With the passing of my good friend and musical collaborator, John Wetton, the world loses yet another musical giant. 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 humour and his infectious smile. May you ride easy, my old friend.”
Steve Hackett spoke of his friend: “I’m totally gutted about John Wetton’s death. Not only was he a wonderful singer and musician, but he was also an incredibly warm person and a particularly special pal.
I loved him like a brother.
You will always be in my heart, John.
Warmest wishes to all on this very sad day.”
Fellow Asia musician Geoff Downes said of John: “It was a massive privilege for me to have worked with this genius so closely on our numerous projects together over the years. His bass playing was revolutionary. His voice was from the gods. His compositions – out of this world. His sense of melody and harmony – unreal. He was literally a special one.”
John Wetton 12th June 1949 – 31st January 2017