Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden dies after illness, aged 72

Guitarist Bernie Marsden, who performed with the British stone radical Whitesnake successful the 1970s and 80s has died, aged 72.

The musician, from Buckingham, died "peacefully" connected Thursday surrounded by his woman and daughters.

Along with David Coverdale, Marsden co-founded Whitesnake and co-wrote hits including Here I Go Again and Fool For Your Loving, and had a solo career.

"Bernie ne'er mislaid his passionateness for music, penning and signaling until the end," a household connection said.

Whitesnake pb vocalist Coverdale - the erstwhile pb vocalist with Deep Purple - said helium had been "honoured" to stock the signifier with Marsden.

"Good Morning...I've conscionable woken up to the atrocious quality that my aged person & erstwhile Snake Bernie Marsden has passed," helium wrote connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter.

"My sincere thoughts & prayers to his beloved family, friends & fans.

"A genuinely funny, talented man, whom I was honored to cognize & stock a signifier with. RIP, Bernie."

Coverdale besides shared different tributes to Marsden on societal media.

Marsden performed successful respective Buckingham bands arsenic a teen earlier turning nonrecreational with UFO successful 1972.

He and Coverdale formed Whitesnake successful 1978, playing connected the band's debut EP and archetypal 5 albums.

During that time, helium recorded 2 solo albums: And About Time Too and Look At Me Now.

After leaving Whitesnake successful 1981, Marsden formed Alaska, making 2 albums successful the 1980s, earlier concisely forming MGM with Neil Murray and Mel Galley.

The set besides included Toto vocalist Bobby Kimball.

In 2011, helium reunited with Whitesnake for the archetypal clip since 1981 astatine the Sweden Rock Festival, becoming the lone archetypal subordinate of the set to play with a aboriginal line-up.

According to the University of Buckingham, which made him an honorary Master of the Arts successful 2015, Marsden's archetypal "real" jobs were astatine Buckingham Borough Council, a section dairy and with builders merchants.

He is survived by his wife, Fran, and daughters Charlotte and Olivia.