MUSIC: Ian McDonald, founder of legendary bands Foreigner and King Crimson, has died at the age of 75.

The U.K.-born musi­cian had been suf­fer­ing from can­cer and died sur­round­ed by his fam­i­ly, his son Max said.

“He was incred­i­bly brave and nev­er lost his kind­ness or sense of humor even when things were tough,” he wrote on Facebook.

“My father was a bril­liant and intu­itive musi­cian, a gen­tle soul and a won­der­ful father. He will live for­ev­er through his beau­ti­ful music and the love of his fans.”

McDon­ald wrote and played key­boards and sax­o­phone on King Crim­son’s icon­ic debut album, In the Court of the Crim­son King.

The 1969 LP was described as “the big bang of pro­gres­sive rock” by Rolling Stone.

Adver­tise­ment
Amer­i­can gui­tarist Steve Stevens called the album “the most impor­tant record­ing in pro­gres­sive rock … at times dis­so­nant chaos fol­lowed by aching beauty.”

McDon­ald went on to form For­eign­er, play­ing gui­tar on such clas­sic songs as Cold As Ice, Dou­ble Vision and Feels Like The First Time in the late 1970s.

But he left the band before find­ing new suc­cess in the 1980s with hits like Wait­ing for a Girl Like You and I Want to Know What Love Is.

Fel­low For­eign­er co-founder Al Green­wood paid trib­ute to him say­ing, “He was like a broth­er to me. A true musi­cal genius, Ian’s musi­cian­ship was inte­gral to launch­ing King Crim­son and For­eign­er into leg­endary status.

“His con­tri­bu­tion to For­eign­er’s suc­cess was immense. Ian was a dear friend, a kind and won­der­ful man, and I will miss him terribly.”