Tributes have been paid to Mark Hollis, the driving force behind the hugely influential UK band Talk Talk, whose death at the age of 64 was reported on Monday.
Speaking to National Public Radio's NPR Music in the US, Hollis' longtime manager, Keith Aspden, said the trailblazing artist had passed away after a short illness.
"I can't tell you how much Mark influenced and changed my perceptions on art and music," Aspden said. "I'm grateful for the time I spent with him and for the gentle beauty he shared with us."
The singer-songwriter co-founded Talk Talk in 1981 alongside Lee Harris and Paul Webb. They had success with hit singles Talk Talk, It's My Life, Such a Shame and Life's What You Make It, together with several acclaimed albums, including The Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock.
The band went their separate ways in 1991 and Hollis went on to release a solo album in 1998, before retiring from the music industry. Talk Talk were the subject of a superb career retrospective, Spirit of Talk Talk, which was first published in 2012.
Tributes flooded in for Hollis on social media. English post-punk band The The praised the influential musician for creating "some of the finest albums of the 1980s / early 1990s", while Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon said Hollis was "one of music's great innovators".
"Mark was the main songwriter of some truly great songs" @TalkTalk pic.twitter.com/beH4kGPcmA
— Duran Duran (@duranduran) February 25, 2019
I always wanted to meet Mark Hollis & say thank you for his music. Hope he knew how much he meant to so many of us. RIP 🖤
— Yannis Philippakis (@YnnsPhilippakis) February 25, 2019
No no no. This is the worst news. Such beautiful music. I know so many people who were inspired by this man. I listen to his records over and over. Loved them. RIP Mark Hollis.
— Sir Arthur Palgrove (@MarkEitzel) February 25, 2019
Very sorry to hear the news that #MarkHollis of #TalkTalk has died. He was behind some of the finest albums of the 1980s / early 1990s. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/IoTuAkGCUf
— THE THE (@thethe) February 25, 2019
Mark Hollis was a spirit whisperer and keeper of a secret garden. pic.twitter.com/OCBXisldzl
— JAGJAGUWAR (@jagjaguwar) February 25, 2019
In my top 5 favourite LPs. Very sad. #MarkHollis #RIP. A genius. pic.twitter.com/uhEv8XFdno
— Dave O'Grady (@daveGildedALM) February 25, 2019
Bye Mark Hollis 😢
— Claire Underwood (@ParisPasRose) February 25, 2019
"Such a shame" Talk Talk (1984) pic.twitter.com/GUU2LmbOZy
