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Simple Minds drummer Kenny Hyslop has died aged 73 after struggling with poor health, sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The percussionist, a member of the Scottish band for a year from 1981, had been ill for some time prior to his passing. A cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
Born in Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde in 1951, Hyslop worked in the music industry across the United Kingdom and Canada for much of his life after starting out as a drummer in the early 1970s.
Learning of his friend’s death on Tuesday afternoon, Midge Ure, who played with Hyslop in glam rock group Slik, sent his best wishes to the musician’s family.
‘Just about to board the British Airways flight from JFK and heard my old friend/Slik/Simple Minds drummer Kenny Hyslop has passed way,’ he told followers on X, formerly Twitter.
Simple Minds drummer Kenny Hyslop has died aged 73 after struggling with poor health, sources confirmed on Tuesday
The percussionist, a member of the Scottish band from 1981, had been ill for some time prior to his passing. A cause of death is yet to be confirmed (L-R: Charlie Burchill, Mick MacNeil, Kenny Hyslop, Jim Kerr and Derek Forbes in 1981)
‘He lived a lively life! Huge condolences to his friends and family. He was much loved.’
Hyslop began his career in 1972 after replacing Matt Cairns as the drummer of glam-rock band Salvation.
Two-years later they were renamed Slik following a line-up change that resulted in Ure becoming lead vocalist, and success would soon follow when they scored a UK number one single with Forever And Ever in 1975.
It would prove to be their biggest hit, with the group disbanding after another name change – PVC2 – and a short-lived foray into punk.
Reflecting on his friendship with Hyland during those early years, Ure added: ‘Kenny was the ‘Chris’ of Slik. We were joined at the hip in those very early years.
‘Instantly bonding over our mutual love of ‘button down pocket’ cowboy shirts! It’s the small thing which enables great friendships to grow…’
Ure would ultimately leave for Ultravox, with whom he enjoyed global success in the 1980s, while Hyslop would play with new wave bands Zones and The Skids prior to joining Simple Minds.
Replacing original drummer Brian McGee in 1981, Hyslop stayed with the band for a year before departing to form short-lived electronic group Set The Tone.
Paying tribute in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon, former Ultravox star Ure, who performed with Hyslop in glam rock group Slik, sent his best wishes to the musician’s family
Hyslop enjoyed success with glam rock band Slik (pictured) in the 1970s after scoring a UK number one with single Forever And Ever
His work features on hit Simple Minds song Promised You A Miracle and he appeared in the promotional videos for Sweat in Bullet and Love Song, but did not contribute to either song’s production.
Paying tribute on Tuesday, fans flooded their social media platforms with memories of Hyslop, whose later years were spent teaching percussion at Glasgow’s Carlton Studios and producing music on MySpace.
‘So sad, chatted to Kenny quite a bit online in the last few years met him over 40 years ago. One hell of a drummer! Fly straight Kenny,’ wrote one.
A second added: ‘It doesn’t seem fair, it only seemed that a month or so ago, I messaged him and he told me that his treatment was going well.’
Elsewhere a third wrote: ‘I was in touch with Kenny over Facebook. Always quick witted replies. It was Kenny’s photos I took to the hairdressers back then and not forgetting that matchstick.’
While a fourth posted: ‘Nooooooooo!!!! Not another death, I can’t handle it this week! This is really sad, I was just talking about him a couple of weeks back. Superb drummer.’
