King Crimson’s Jamie Muir dead at 82
Jamie Muir, the former percussionist with legendary prog-rock band King Crimson, has died aged 82.
Muir’s death has been confirmed by his former King Crimson bandmate Bill Bruford, who is best known for being a founding member of Yes. Bruford revealed that Murr passed away on February 17th in Cornwall with his brother, George, by his side, but, his cause of death has not been revealed.
Muir was born in Edinburgh in 1982 which is where he had his musical education before moving to London to embark on his career. After establishing a reputation, he was recruited by Robert Fripp to join King Crimson in 1972.
Bruford began his heartfelt eulogy by writing: “Jamie was the drummer/percussionist with whom I worked on the King Crimson album ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973). He had a volcanic effect on me, professionally and personally, in the brief time we were together many years ago – an effect which I still remember half a century later.”
The Yes drummer revealed that he lost contact in the 1970s with Muir, regretfully adding, “I’m sorry we lost touch, but his departure from our working relationship was so sudden and unexpected, I sort of assumed he didn’t want anything more to do with me and my colleagues in King Crimson!”
Despite his immense musical talent, Muir left the music industry behind shortly after the release of King Crimson’s fifth album, Larks’ Tongues, to become a monk. Although he eventually returned to London from Scotland in 1980 to return to making music, but retired again in 1990 to pursue a new career in painting.
Bruford continued: “He was a lovely, artistic man, childlike in his gentleness. There was probably a dark side underneath. It could be be glimpsed as he climbed the PA stacks in a wolf’s fur jacket, blood (from a capsule) pouring from his mouth, on a rainy Thursday night in Preston, Lancs., to hurl chains across the stage at his drumkit. One of these Robert Fripp will tell you, only narrowly missed him.”
The drummer emotionally concluded, referencing Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography Of A Yogi, which he encouraged Jon Anderson to read, “His conversations with Jon Anderson at my 1973 wedding party, in Jon’s words, ‘changed my life’. Jamie also changed mine. I consider it a privilege to have known, and benefitted from the company of, a man of such quiet power, even briefly. He struck me as one of those about whom one might truthfully say he was a beautiful human being. He will be much missed. Goodbye, Jamie.”
While leaving King Crimson at the peak of their powers was a difficult decision for Muir, he held no regrets about following his gut and joining a monastery. He later admitted, “It was difficult, of course. A whole year of tours had just been lined up… I didn’t feel too happy about letting people down, but this was something I had to do, or else it would have been a source of deep regret for the rest of my life.”
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