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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Vicki Newman & Elaine Blackburne

Foreigner and King Crimson rocker Ian McDonald dies

Talented musician Ian McDonald, who was a founding member of two leading bands has died.

The 75-year-old is best known for his time with both King Crimson and Foreigner after being part of the original line-up of both bands.

He came to fame with King Crimson in the late 1960s but maintained a strong influence on the music scene into the 1970s.

As a talented musician he played a number of instruments including guitar, keyboards, flute and the saxophone.

The Middlesex-born star died surrounded by his loved ones, according to a representative, The Mirror reports.

A cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but Ian's representative said he was "surrounded by his family" when he died at his home in New York City on February 9.

The band rose to fame after supporting the Rolling Stones in London's Hyde Park in 1969, going on to release their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, that same year.

The album received critical acclaim at the time, and is now considered a classic.

The saxophone part written by Ian for song 21st Century Schizoid Man went on to be sampled by Kanye West on his song Power.

Ian once said he was shocked that the album had held up for as long as it had.

He told Ultimate Classic Rock: "When we made it – and I was basically at the forefront of the production – I wanted to make sure everything that went into the record would bear repeated listening and hopefully stand the test of time."

After the band went their separate ways, Ian went on to form Foreigner in 1976 alongside British guitarist Mick Jones and US singer Lou Gramm but left the band in 1980.

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