Guitarist Paul “Tonka” Chapman passed away on is 66th birthday on June 9, according to his son who announced the passing of his father on the elder Chapman’s Facebook page. Chapman was known as a guitar player for the British heavy metal outfit UFO and the Irish blues rock band Skid Row (not to be confused with the American outfit of the same name, who achieved mainstream success in the 1980s.) A cause of death has not been made public.
“It is with a heavy heart writing this, today is my dads 66th birthday,” His son wrote on Facebook. “He passed away earlier this afternoon. He was a brilliant, energetic, loving and most carefree person and the First man I ever loved. Everyone he came in contact with loved him. no ADORED him. will keep everyone posted on his celebration of life. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers as his family grieves and processes everything at this time. I love you Dad. So much.”
Chapman first joined UFO in 1974 before departing after only a year with the band. He would go on to form the outfit Lonestar before their breakup in 1978 and rejoined UFO in 1980, before leaving once again in 1983. He played guitar on several UFO projects including No Place to Run, The Wild, The Willing and the Innocent, Mechanix and Making Contact.
The artist moved to Florida following his departure from the group and spent the final years of his life teaching guitar at a studio in Melbourne, Florida.
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