Irish guitarist Henry McCullough, who is recognized for his playing on early recordings with Paul McCartney and Wings, has passed away at the age of 72. Though he was known to be ill in recent years, a cause of death has yet to be determined.
McCullough got his start with Wings through playing on the group's 1973 sophomore release Red Rose Speedway. He then went on to lend his guitar chops to Wings singles such has "Hi, Hi, Hi," "My Love" and the band's James Bond theme "Live and Let Die."
After leaving Wings following one album, McCullough went on to perform and record with the likes of Joe Cocker's Grease Band (with whom he played at the original Woodstock festival), Spooky Tooth, Roy Harper, Marianne Faithfull, Donovan, Dr. Feelgood and Pink Floyd. The guitarist's soundbite "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time" can be heard on the latter's celebrated LP The Dark Side of the Moon towards the end of "Money."
McCullough suffered a heart attack in 2012 that left him in critical condition. "He had suffered severe brain damage and was left completely incapacitated for the last four years," his agent Nigel Martyn told the Belfast Telegraph.
"I was very sad to hear that Henry McCullough, our great Wings guitarist, passed away today" McCartney wrote in a statement on his website. "He was a pleasure to work with, a super-talented musician with a lovely sense of humour. The solo he played on 'My Love' was a classic that he made up on the spot in front of a live orchestra. Our deepest sympathies from my family to his."
McCullough got his start with Wings through playing on the group's 1973 sophomore release Red Rose Speedway. He then went on to lend his guitar chops to Wings singles such has "Hi, Hi, Hi," "My Love" and the band's James Bond theme "Live and Let Die."
After leaving Wings following one album, McCullough went on to perform and record with the likes of Joe Cocker's Grease Band (with whom he played at the original Woodstock festival), Spooky Tooth, Roy Harper, Marianne Faithfull, Donovan, Dr. Feelgood and Pink Floyd. The guitarist's soundbite "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time" can be heard on the latter's celebrated LP The Dark Side of the Moon towards the end of "Money."
McCullough suffered a heart attack in 2012 that left him in critical condition. "He had suffered severe brain damage and was left completely incapacitated for the last four years," his agent Nigel Martyn told the Belfast Telegraph.
"I was very sad to hear that Henry McCullough, our great Wings guitarist, passed away today" McCartney wrote in a statement on his website. "He was a pleasure to work with, a super-talented musician with a lovely sense of humour. The solo he played on 'My Love' was a classic that he made up on the spot in front of a live orchestra. Our deepest sympathies from my family to his."