The post-punk world suffered a devastating loss back in February, when Andy Gill, the guitarist and founding member of the influential band Gang of Four, passed away from respiratory illness. His widow, Catherine Mayer, has now revealed that she believes COVID-19 may have been the his ultimate passing.
During the time of Gill’s passing very little was known about the illness, as most countries outside of Asia were not yet enacting stay-at-home orders to prevent its spread. In a post made on her website, Mayer states that Gill was suffering many of the systems typically associated with COVID-19 now, including: low oxygen, lethargy and diminished appetite.
Mayer went on to discuss what the doctor stated regarding Gill’s diagnosis, stating: “It seemed to me at the time of Andy’s illness that we had not fully understood why he deteriorated as he did. Once we learned more about Covid-19, I thought there was a real possibility that Andy had been infected by SARS-COV-2. I discussed this with colleagues in early March—I thought we should explore this further once we had the tools to answer the question such as reliable antibody tests. I did not want to contact you until and if I had a definite answer.”
The widower also explained that Gang of Four’s tour manager in China also faces respiratory complications, which is now believed to have been caused by COVID-19.
Gang of Four are continuing on this year despite Gill’s passing, and will be honoring the late performer on their upcoming EP Forever Starts Now. This project will feature Gill’s final recordings alongside his formative band.
Gill made a posthumous appearance on the EP This Heaven Gives Me Migraines released back in February, less than week after his passing. Their most recent studio album release Happy Now came out last year.
Photo Credit: Boston Lynn Schulz
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