Paul Raven R.I.P.: TED PARSONS Comments

2007/10/22

TED PARSONS Comments

Drummer TED PARSONS Comments On PAUL RAVEN's Passing - Oct. 21, 2007

Drummer Ted Parsons (PRONG, SWANS, GODFLESH, JESU) — who has spent the past few days in a Swiss studio collaborating with French recording artists TREPONEM PAL on their new release — has released the following statement regarding legendary bassist Paul Raven's (MINISTRY, KILLING JOKE) passing:

"It deeply saddens me to tell you that legendary bass player and friend Paul Raven died yesterday morning of a heart failure in Geneva, Switzerland at around 6:00 a.m.

"Paul and myself were invited to play on the new TREPONEM PAL album in Geneva for a week. After a long day of recording, the band went out for drinks to celebrate Paul's arrival and reminisce. We then went back to the house we were staying and I went to bed the other guys stayed up.

"I found Raven asleep in a chair the next morning in the living room. I thought nothing of it as Raven would sleep like this on the tour bus in the front lounge all the time. Then I looked closer at him and he looked very gray. I checked his pulse and there was none. I yelled for the other guys in the band. We immediately did some CPR and called for an ambulance. Medics arrived quickly but after an hour of trying to get his heart beat back they could not save him. They said he died in his sleep probably around 6 a.m. It was then 9:30 a.m.

"Marco and myself have been contacting his family all day yesterday. I'm assuming a funeral service will be held in Wolverhampton, UK where his family live and his birthplace.

"We made a lot of great music together.

"Words can't describe how I feel right now. I'm devastated.

"He will be missed by many.

"He was the king of the one-liners.

"Please send Raven and his family love and light."