Monday, June 29, 2009

Sky Saxon of The Seeds Has Died

Sky Saxon (nee Richard Marsh), bassist and lead singer of the Seeds, died Thursday (June 25) in an Austin, Texas hospital, where he went for what is believed was an infection in his internal organs on Monday. Born sometime between 1937 and 1946, he originally sang doo-wop in the fifties as Little Richie Marsh but changed his name in 1962 when he formed the Elektra Fires group (later Sky Saxon & the Soul Rockers and finally the Seeds) in Los Angeles. While the group is remembered for "Pushin' Too Hard" (#36-1967), it's "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" (#41-1967) that has recently appeared in a television commercial. Sky (who later lengthened his alias to Sky Sunlight Saxon) broke up the group and joined a spiritual commune in 1970, but kept his hand in music-- even appearing in a Smashing Pumpkins video. He performed with his group, Shapes Have Fangs, just last Saturday.