Musician Matthew Seligman, who was best known as the bass players for The Soft Boys, has died. He was 64.
Former Soft Boys frontman Robyn Hitchcock confirmed the news of Seligman’s death in a heartfelt Facebook post on Friday (April 17).
“I’m writing this as Matthew Seligman slips out of this life and into wherever souls go next,” wrote Hitchcock, who met Seligman in 1976. “Everybody goes, but none of us were expecting Matthew to leave us so abruptly, forever.”
The cause of Seligman’s death had not been confirmed at press time. His friend and former bandmate Thomas Dolby shared on Facebook that Seligman “suffered a catastrophic haemorrhagic stroke” after recently being admitted to St George’s in London for COVID-19.
“I am so sad to have to bear this terrible news,” Dolby wrote. “I have loved him as a friend and a fellow musician for 40 years.”
Seligman joined The Soft Boys in the late 1970s and performed on the psychedelic band’s A Can of Bees (1979) and Underwater Moonlight (1980) albums. He later played on solo albums by Hitchcock and Dolby. Seligman’s impressive resume also included playing alongside David Bowie, Thompson Twins, Morrissey, Chrissie Hynde, Sinead O’Connor and Tori Amos.
“I’m profoundly grateful to have played music with him — you could really see his face light up like a full moon when he listened back to a take he enjoyed,” Hitchcock remembered. “Onstage he would lope and lurch and pace when the music moved him. Matthew is, was, and always will be one of the greats.”
Seligman is survived by his partner, Mami; and his children, Daisy and Lily.
See more tributes to Seligman below.
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