Damo Suzuki dies at the age of 74: the Japanese-born musician dies after battling cancer for thirty years
Damo Suzuki has died at the age of 74.
The Japanese-born music star – who fronted Can, the experimental rock band, at the height of their creative powers – died on Friday.
A post on Can's Instagram account reads: 'It is with great sadness that yesterday, Friday, February 9, 2024, we have to announce the passing of our wonderful friend Damo Suzuki.
“His boundless creative energy has touched so many people around the world, not only with Can, but also with his continent-spanning Network Tour. Damo's kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed.”
The musician was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014, after having been diagnosed with the disease thirty years earlier.
Damo Suzuki has died at the age of 74. The Japanese-born music star – who fronted Can, the experimental rock band, at the height of their creative powers – died on Friday; seen in 2016
A post on Can's Instagram account reads: 'It is with great sadness that yesterday, Friday, February 9, 2024, we have to announce the passing of our wonderful friend Damo Suzuki'; seen in 2010
Suzuki was actually only given a ten percent chance of survival in 2014.
But in 2022, Suzuki revealed that he remained optimistic amid his health concerns.
He told The Guardian newspaper at the time: 'Everything is fine. I am optimistic and if you have positive thoughts, everything will be fine.”
Suzuki essentially stopped making music for ten years after leaving Can.
However, the singer then emphasized that he does not look back on his career choices with regret.
Suzuki – who left Can in 1973 before eventually returning to the music scene – said: 'I'm not interested in clinging to the past because I can't change it.
'His boundless creative energy has touched so many people around the world, not only with Can, but also with his continent-spanning Network Tour'; seen in 2007
It added: 'Damo's kind soul and cheeky smile will be forever missed'; seen in 2016
German experimental rock group Can, from left to right; Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Damo Suzuki, Irmidt Schmidt and Jaki Leibzeit, during the Tago Mago period
“If I can't change it, I don't want to spend time there.”
'I like to spend time in the present, because I can create something new there, but not in the past.'
Suzuki also explained that he was constantly looking for innovation.
He said, 'I don't like playing the same piece over and over again.
'Repetition is boring. Every performance must be a unique experience.'