Interpol frontman Paul Banks has left his tribute to the late School Of Seven Bells and Secret Machines musician Benjamin Curtis who died on December 29th last year aged just 35.
Writing in NME, Banks describes Curtis as ‘gentle and soft spoken and yet he always seemed to be alight’. Curtis was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in February 2013.
“There was a fire inside him that came through as a powerful charisma on or off stage,” Banks continues. “He was special. I used to refer to him as ‘Mr Mojo’, to portray what I felt was his indelible magnetism.”
“He will always be an inspiration for me and anyone else who was blessed to spend time with him, see him perform, or hear his music. In all of his endeavors he brought a signature presence – style, poise and fury.”
Curtis’ death at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City was confirmed by School Of Seven Bells’ manager Brady Brock, who said:
“We lost our friend and brother Benjamin Curtis to his fight against cancer. We kindly ask that his immediate family, friends & bandmates’ privacy be respected during this time. We can’t thank all of you who supported him and his music through the years enough.”