Bernard John Marsden (May 7, 1951 – August 24, 2023) was an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group’s hit songs, such as “Fool for Your Loving”, “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”, “She’s A Woman”, “Lovehunter”, “Trouble”, “Child of Babylon”, “Rough and Ready”, and the multi-million selling chart-topper “Here I Go Again”.
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Whitesnake
After Paice Ashton Lord folded, in 1978, Marsden formed a new band with former Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale and guitarist Micky Moody. The band started as David Coverdale’s White Snake, which then became Whitesnake. Marsden played on the first EP, first five albums and a live album: Snakebite (1978), Trouble (1978), Lovehunter (1979), Ready & Willing (1980), Live In The Heart Of The City (1980), Come An’ Get It (1981) and Saints & Sinners (1982), contributing many of the songs with David Coverdale and sometimes Moody. Marsden and Coverdale went on to create Whitesnake’s anthem “Here I Go Again” in 1982, a song that sold many millions all over the world. Both writers have received many awards for the song. As of 2018, the song has been counted at six million US radio plays.
Post-Whitesnake bands
Following his departure from Whitesnake, Marsden formed a short-lived band called Bernie Marsden’s SOS. Not long after, Bernie Marsden formed the band Alaska with Robert Hawthorne on vocals and Richard Bailey on keyboards. Alaska released two melodic rock albums in two years, Heart of the Storm (1984) and The Pack (1985), before splitting. In 1986, he put together MGM with former Whitesnake members Neil Murray and his replacement guitarist in Whitesnake Mel Galley. The band, briefly, also included former Toto vocalist, Bobby Kimball. Recordings were made but remain unreleased.
In 1989, Marsden reunited with Whitesnake guitarist Moody to form The Moody Marsden band, recording an acoustic live album in Norway called Live In Hell and an electric live album recorded in England, Never Turn Our Back on the Blues, that featured Zak Starkey on drums. Marsden & Moody toured throughout Europe and recorded one studio album called Real Faith in 1994. They later formed a new band called “The Snakes” with Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande focused on only playing songs from their time in Whitesnake, releasing a studio abum (Once Bitten) and a live record (Live in Europe), both in 1998. . . .
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Solo career
Marsden released two solo albums during his time in Whitesnake. First released in Japan on the Japanese label Trash/Trio in 1979, And About Time Too, became the number one import into the UK. EMI Records soon picked up the rights to the album and released it in Europe shortly before the release of Marsden’s second solo album, Look At Me Now, in 1981. Both of these LPs were on the Parlophone label; at the time only Marsden and The Beatles were on the label. His BBC Friday Rock Show solo sessions were released on CD; these featured David Coverdale and Toto drummer Simon Phillips. No more solo albums appeared until the release of his Green and Blues in 1994. This album is his tribute to guitarists in the John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers allowing him to thank Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, but most of all John Mayall.
Marsden recorded two soundtrack CDs; his music has featured in many US TV shows.
Marsden produced his own documentary blues-based DVD, filmed in Mississippi. Concentrating on the Clarksdale area, it features some wonderful stories and playing, especially with James ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson, Morgan Freeman appears, dancing in the Ground Zero Club in Clarksdale as Marsden plays with his band. His continuing fascination with blues music led to him producing USA artist Larry Johnson’s Blues From Harlem CD, and forming close relationships with Honey Boy Edwards, John Jackson and Louisiana Red, playing with all of them as well.
Into the 2000s, he produced his Big Boy Blue double-CD, Stacks, featuring Jimmy Copley, Big Boy Blue Live, and Bernie Plays Rory, a double CD of Rory Gallagher’s material. A live acoustic recording, Going To My Hometown, was recorded at The Radcliffe Centre in Buckingham. Castle Communications released a definitive compilation double CD called Blues and Scales which features songs from almost all the bands of his career.
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Guitar related
PRS Guitars released a Bernie Marsden Signature Edition guitar, and Gibson Guitars made a limited edition number of his Gibson Les Paul guitar known as “The Beast”. His second book, released in 2018, is Tales of Tone and Volume and is a large tome featuring his guitar collection. Marsden contributed a column to Guitarist magazine in 2018–19.
Later years and death
His inaugural Guitar Mojo Experience was held at Arts at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire in 2018 and 2019. A third Mojo was scheduled for July 2020.
In 2015, the University of Buckingham granted Bernie Marsden an honorary Master of Arts degree.
In 2021, Marsden was crowned The Lord Of The Blues at the HRH Awards.
Marsden continued to play solo shows, mainly festivals in Europe and the UK, joining Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruises, and also took a show on the road playing the Whitesnake album Ready And Willing in its entirety in the autumn of 2019.
On the evening of August 24, 2023, Marsden died from bacterial meningitis, with his wife and two daughters at his side. He was 72. Marsden’s former bandmate, David Coverdale, expressed his condolences on his Twitter (X) account.
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Read a more complete bio here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Marsden
Related article: https://www.loudersound.com/news/bernie-marsden-dead-at-72
Photo: Bernie Marsden | https://www.facebook.com/berniemarsdenofficial/
Bernie Marsden, Former Guitarist & Songwriter for Whitesnake, Dies at Age 72
