Legendary psych-folk musician Ed Askew dies aged 84

Ed Askew, the psych-folk musician and painter with a cult following, has passed away at the age of 84.

The news was shared in two separate social media posts by his musical collaborators Jerry David DeCicca and Jay Pluck.

DeCicca wrote: “You were loved and always will be. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life & music. Producing For The World was an honour.” A cause of death has not been revealed.

Askew was born in Connecticut in 1940 and originally studied to be a painter, graduating from Yale School Of Art in 1963, before making the shift to become a musician.

 

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A post shared by Jerry David DeCicca (@jerrydaviddecicca)

His debut record Ask the Unicorn was released in 1968. The musician then went on to gradually develop a cult following in the 80's after moving to New York City an developing a unique style of acid and folk.

Throughout his career, the songwriter shared 11 studio albums. In 2015, Ask the Unicorn was re-released by Drag City as a resurgence of interest in Askew’s work arose.

One of his most iconic records was the 2013's For The World, which included collaborations with Sharron Van Etten, Marc Ribot and more.

The musician also self-released hundreds of tracks on cassettes and later on Bandcamp.

In a statement to Pitchfork, Jay Pluck said: “Ed was a brave gay songwriter from the beginning and I hope more come to know this.… Ed’s music changed the lives of people from many generations and continues to do so. His close friends, collaborators and constant spring of new friends and fans will miss him forever.”

A collection of Ed Askew’s work is available on his Bandcamp page.