Sandy Pearlman, co-producer of the Blue Öyster Cult rock classic ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’ and The Clash‘s ‘Give ‘Em Enough Rope’ album, has died at the age of 72.
His friend Robert Duncan broke the news on Facebook, writing a short statement which reads:
“Sandy Pearlman, poet, writer, songwriter, producer, manager, professor, polymath, visionary, passed peacefully, surrounded by love, at 12:30 am, July 26, 2016, in Marin County, California. A celebration of his exceptional life will be announced later.”
Duncan had earlier paid tribute when he set up a GoFundMe page last year in a bid to raise money for medical fees after Pearlman had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in December 2015.
“In case you are not as familiar with Sandy’s career, he is a pioneer of rock criticism, at Crawdaddy and other seminal publications, a pioneer of heavy metal (a phrase he may have been the first to use, as a rock critic), a pioneer of punk, paisley underground and goth,” he said at the time.
“He is a poet, producer, songwriter, manager, label owner, member of the Library of Congress preservation board, professor of music and philosophy at McGill and University of Toronto. He is a man who has devoted his life to art — making it, making it possible and making it come to life for students and others.”