The pic above (for those of you who don’t know) is of Richey Edwards, the lead guitarist from the Manic Street Preachers, who disappeared on Febuary 1st 1995.
He left behind his passport, his credit cards and his antidepressants.
This year, his parents could have him pronounced legally dead under UK laws. This would close the missing persons file on him, and give his family access to the trust fund set up to collect the royalties from the bands work (rumored to be around £3 million).
They have refused. They believe that he is still alive and will not give up on him being found.
Richey had long suffered from depression. The photo above was taken after Steve Lamaq (then working for Select magazine) accused the band of faking their image. Richey carved “4 real” into his forearm to prove Lamaq wrong.
Shortly before the release of the bands third album, The Holy Bible (which Richey wrote 75% of the lyrics for and produced himself) Richey was sent to The Priory to be treated for depression.
It was the day that Richey and James Dean Bradfield (lead singer and lead guitarist for the band) were due to fly to America to promote the album, and discuss writing and recording the soundtrack to the forthcoming Judge Dredd film, that it was discovered he was missing.
My thought go out to Richeys family and the rest of the band today.
Richey, wherever you are, I hope you have found what you were looking for.
I’ll finish with the lyrics to my favourite song from The Holy Bible, called 4st 7lb.
(Please forgive the capitalisation. This is taken straight from the band website)
DAYS SINCE I LAST PISSED
CHEEKS SUNKEN AND DESPAIRED
SO GORGEOUS SUNK TO SIX STONE
LOSE MY ONLY REMAINING HOME
SEE MY THIRD RIB APPEAR
A WEEK LATER ALL MY FLESH DISAPPEAR
STRETCHING TAUT, CLING-FILM ON BONE
I’M GETTING BETTER.
KAREN SAY’S I’VE REACHED MY TARGET WEIGHT
KATE AND EMMA AND KRISITIN KNOW IT’S FAKE
PROBLEM IS DIET’S NOT A BIG ENOUGH WORD.
I WANNA BE SO SKINNY THAT I ROT FROM VIEW.
I WANT TO WALK IN THE SNOW
AND NOT LEAVE A FOOTPRINT
I WANT TO WALK IN THE SNOW
AND NOT SPOIL ITS PURITY.
STOMACH COLLAPSED AT FIVE
LIFT UP MY SKIRT MY SEX IS GONE
NAKED AND LOVELY AND 5ST 2
MAY I BUD AND NEVER FLOWER
MY VISION’S GETTING BLURRED
BUT I CAN SEE MY RIB’S AND I FEEL FINE
MY HANDS ARE TREMBLING STALKS
AND I CAN FEEL MY BREASTS ARE SINKING.
MOTHER TRIES TO CHOKE ME WITH ROAST BEEF
AND SITS SAVOURING HER SOLE RYVITA
THAT’S THE WAY YOU’RE BUILT MY FATHER SAID.
BUT I CAN CHANGE, MY COCOON SHEDDING
I WANT TO WALK IN THE SNOW
AND NOT LEAVE A FOOTPRINT
I WANT TO WALK IN THE SNOW
AND NOT SPOIL ITS PURITY.
KATE AND KRISTIN AND KIT KAT
ALL THINGS I LIKE LOOKING AT
TOO WEAK TO FUSS, TOO WEAK TO DIE
CHOICE IS SKELETAL IN EVERYBODY’S LIFE.
I CHOOSE, MY CHOICE, I STARVE TO FRENZY
HUNGER SOON PASSES AND SICKNESS SOON TIRES
LEGS BEND, STOCKINGED I AM TWIGGY
AND I DON’T MIND THE HORROR THAT SURROUNDS ME.
SELF-WORTH SCATTERS, SELF ESTEEM’S A BORE
I LONG SINCE MOVED TO A HIGHER PLATEAU
THIS DISCIPLINE’S SO RARE SO PLEASE APPLAUD
JUST LOOK AT THE FAT SCUM WHO PAMPER ME.
YEH 4ST 7, AN EPILOGUE OF YOUTH
SUCH BEAUTIFUL DIGNITY IN SELF-ABUSE
I’VE FINALLY COME TO UNDERSTAND LIFE
THROUGH STARING BLANKLY AT MY NAVEL.
Will
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