Former Rockpile guitarist and singer Dave Edmunds is in critical condition in the hospital after suffering a major cardiac arrest.
Edmunds’ wife Cici broke the news on Tuesday July 29 via Facebook. She revealed that the 81-year-old Welsh musician had suffered a “major cardiac arrest” at home in Wales. She added that Edmunds had “died in my arms”, before reviving him with CPR.
She added: “He very clearly has brain damage and severe memory loss, etc. And the risk of yet another major cardiac arrest is high . And if that occurs there is no chance for Dave…”.
She concluded the post: “Dave will have a very long journey ahead of him if he survives. We both have. But knowing that there are kind hearted people such as you all. Makes this tremendously difficult journey a little easier”.
Born in Cardiff in 1944, Dave Edmunds first rose to fame in the late ’60s as a member of Love Sculpture, who scored a UK Top 5 hit in 1968 with “Sabre Dance”.
He later launched a successful solo career, delivering a string of hits throughout the ’70s, including “I Can Hear You Knocking”, “I Knew The Bride”, and “Girl Talk”.
In 1975, Edmunds teamed up with former Brinsley Schwarz bassist and vocalist Nick Lowe to form Rockpile, eventually releasing the acclaimed album “Seconds of Pleasure” in 1980.
Edmunds continued his career collaborating with renowned artists like Paul McCartney, Status Quo, ELO’s Jeff Lynne, and rock ’n’ roll legend Carl Perkins.
His final album, “On Guitar… Rags & Classics”, was released in 2015, and he officially announced his retirement from music in 2017.
We wish Dave Edmunds a speedy recovery.
