Whitesnake Guitarist Bernie Marsden Dead at 72

Bernie Marsden, who was one of Whitesnake's original guitarists, has died. He was 72.

The news of his passing was confirmed by bandleader David Coverdale on social media. He wrote, "Good Morning…I’ve just woken up to the awful news that my old friend & former Snake Bernie Marsden has passed. My sincere thoughts & prayers to his beloved family, friends & fans. A genuinely funny, gifted man, whom I was honored to know & share a stage with. RIP, Bernie XXX."

As of the time of writing, no cause of death has been shared.

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Before joining Whitesnake, Marsden was in bands UFO and Paice Ashton Lord. When Coverdale left Deep Purple in 1976, he began recording solo under the name Whitesnake, and needed a backing band. Under the suggestion of guitarist Micky Moody, Coverdale decided to add Marsden as a second guitarist in 1978.

In the band, Marsden co-wrote hits like "Here I Go Again" and "Fool for Your Loving." However, he was kicked off the band along with bandmates Neil Murray and Ian Paice in the early 1980s.

Following his time in Whitesnake, Marsden started a short-lived project called Bernie Marsden's SOS. He also formed the band Alaska, which only released two studio albums. He additionally reunited with his former Whitesnake bandmate Moody to form The Moody Marsden Band.

Besides his various bands, Marsden released multiple solo albums. His final solo work was his "Inspirations" series, which featured three albums: Kings, Chess, and Trios. They were released between 2021 and 2022. As the series title suggests, each record paid tribute to the artists who inspired his decades-spanning career.

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