MICHAEL SCHENKER On PAUL RAYMOND's Passing: 'You Don't Really Know Who Is Next'

Michael Schenker has commented on the passing of Paul Raymond. The UFO guitarist/keyboard player died on April 13 after suffering a heart attack. He was 73 years old.

Schenker, who first joined UFO in 1973 and last played with the band in 2003, spoke about Raymond‘s death during a brand new interview with the “Talking Metal” podcast. Asked if he had been in contact with Raymond in recent years, the legendary German guitarist said (hear audio below): “Well, UFO has been doing their own thing for quite a while now. And once in a while, I helped Paul out. He came and jammed with us quite a few years ago. I think I hadn’t seen him, really, for, like, six years or something like that. But I knew he was living in Germany, which was a surprise. But we lost [MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP drummer] Ted [McKenna] on the 19th of January, and then on the 13th [of April], in the morning, I get a message that Paul Raymond passed away. You don’t really know who is next, and it’s often people you don’t think. And then there was Elliott [Rubinson] from Dean Guitars, who looked so healthy and was really fit, and then he died out of the blue [in February 2017]. And so it’s crazy. But I guess as soon as you’re born, you’re subject to death, and that’s a part of life. I just say to myself that they are going beyond where we are gonna be following. We’re gonna meet them later.”

Raymond was recruited by UFO in 1976 to replace the band’s first keyboardist, Danny Peyronel. When Michael Schenker left UFO, Raymond joined Schenker‘s MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and later hooked up with Pete Way in WAYSTED.

Raymond appeared on more than a dozen of UFO‘s albums, including “Lights Out” and the live classic “Strangers In The Night”.

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST‘s 2018 debut album, “Resurrection”, reunited Schenker with former MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) vocalists Gary Barden and Graham Bonnet, plus Robin McAuley of the MCAULEY-SCHENKER GROUP, as well as Doogie White of Schenker‘s TEMPLE OF ROCK. A follow-up album titled “Revelation” is due on August 23 through Nuclear Blast.

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST kicked off a new North American tour leg earlier in the month at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. The run continues through May 18 in Austin, Texas. Joining Michael for this leg of dates are Barden, Bonnet, McAuley and White, Chris Glen (bass) and Steve Mann (guitar/keyboards) and former MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP drummer Bodo Schopf.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net