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Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood have been leading the tributes to former Small Faces/Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan, who died suddenly on Wednesday (December 3rd).
According to reports, McLagan had been preparing for a gig on Wednesday evening in Austin, Texas when he suffered a massive stroke and passed away in hospital.
Rod Stewart, who joined McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones on vocals as the Small Faces moved away from the Steve Marriott-era, has spoken of his ‘devastation’ in a statement released to NME.
“I’m absolutely devastated,” he said. “Ian McLagan embodied the true spirit of the Faces. Last night I was at a charity do, Mick Hucknall was singing ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, and Ron Wood texted to say Ian had passed. It was as if his spirit was in the room. I’ll miss you mate.”
Ronnie Wood, who also became a part of the newly-evolved Faces along side Stewart in the late sixties, has left a short message on Twitter which too remembers Rolling Stones‘ saxophonist Bobby Keys.
“God bless Bobby and Mac,” he wrote.