English musician, co-founder of King Crimson and Foreigner, Ian MacDonald has died at the age of 75.
According to his spokesman, Ian McDonald “died quietly on February 9, 2022 at his home in New York, surrounded by his family.”
Ian MacDonald, who played saxophone, keyboards and wind instruments, was a founding member of the pioneering progressive rock band King Crimson, along with Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield and Greg Lake.
His term in King Crimson it was short but impressive. His previous experience as a member of a military band influenced the band ‘s early sound, as did the Mellotron keyboard he suggested they buy.
His contribution can be seen throughout King Crimson’s iconic 1969 debut album, “In the Court of the Crimson King”. In addition to writing each track on the album, he played saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, instrument and vibraphone.
At the end of 1969, due to disputes with other members of the band, he left King Crimson.
In 1976, Ian MacDonald, along with Mick Jones, Lou Gram, Al Greenwood, Ed Galliardi and Dennis Eliot, formed the British-American Rock Band. Foreigner.
Their first self-titled album was released in 1977 and went platinum in the US thanks to their hits “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold As Ice”.
In 1978 they released “Double Vision” which became an even greater success and reached No.3 on the album chart in the USA.
Wanting more creative control over Foreigner music, Jones removed Al Greenwood and Ian MacDonald from the band in 1980.
Ian MacDonald then worked as a musician on record productions, recording with artists such as T. Rex, Fruupp and Steve Hackett.
He later reunited with the Foreigners on stage as a special guest and with Michael Giles and other King Crimson members on the 21st Century Schizoid Band.
In recent years he has appeared with the band from New York Honey West with which he released the album “Bad Old World” in 2017.
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