metal talk
  STATUS QUO ATTEND RICK PARFITT'S FUNERAL AS TOUR CONTINUES
Johnny Main
24th January 2017



status qup

Family, close friends and Status Quo bandmates past and present turned out late last week (Thursday 19th January) at Woking Crematorium to pay their last respects to legendary Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt.

Parfitt died in Spain on Christmas Eve after suffering a severe infection while in a Spanish hospital following shoulder injury problems and the private service gathered those closest to him to say a final farewell.

Current Status Quo members Leon Cave (drums), Andrew Bown (keyboard/guitar), John 'Rhino' Edwards (bass guitar), Parfitt’s current replacement in the lin- up, guitarist Richie Malone, and Parfitt's bandmate of the last fifty years Francis Rossi arrived together for the funeral service with other mourners on the band's tour bus. Also in attendance were a host of friends including ex-Status Quo drummers Matthew Letley and John Coghlan who was accompanied by his wife, Gillie, Bob Young, who served as Status Quo's tour manager throughout the seventies, as well as Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley.

Parfitt's two former wives, Marietta Boeker and Patti Beedon and his widow Lyndsay all attended the funeral, as did Parfitt's elder children, sons Harry and Rick Parfitt Jnr. Floral tributes in the shape of guitars were sent by the German Status Quo fan club as well as the band's official fan club, FTMO (From The Makers Of).

Tributes in the form of flowers were also sent by Roger Taylor and Brian May from Queen, TV personality Chris Tarrant, Paul Weller, who knew Parfitt well having also grown up in Woking, as well as those from Parfitt’s younger children, Tommy and Lilly, who were absent. Frank Sinatra's 'My Way' opened the service which also included a reading of the last song ever written by Parfitt and the service closed with Nat King Cole's 'Smile'.

Status Quo have recently thanked their fans for all of your kind messages over the last few weeks and announced that, in Rick's memory, the band – and as previously announced - will continue to honour their already scheduled live commitments for 2017, continuing with guitarist Richie Malone.

Furthermore, they stated that fans wishing to pay their personal respects to Rick will be able to do so later in the year at a memorial event which will be announced in late Spring 2017.

You can see Status Quo live here:

Tuesday 18th April: Nordea Concert House,Tallinn*
Wednesday 19th April: Kultuuritalo, Helsinki*
Thursday 20th April: Logomo, Turku*
Saturday 22nd April: Partille Arena, Partille*
Sunday 23rd April: Fryshuset Arena, Stockholm*
Tuesday 25th April: Sentrum Scene, Oslo*
Friday 28th April: Naestved Arena, Naestved*
Saturday 29th April: Lillebaeltshallen, Middelfart*
Tuesday 2nd May: Salle Pleyel, Paris* (Re-scheduled show from December 2016)
Tuesday 20th June: Inverness Leisure Centre, Inverness**
Wednesday 21st June: York Barbican, York**
Thursday 29th June: Gran Teatre Del Liceu, Barcelona**
Saturday 1st July: Royal Albert Hall, London**
Thursday 7th July: Zwickau, Freilichtbühne*
Sunday 9th July: Freilichtbühne, Loreley, St Goarshausen* (with ZZ Top)
Monday 10th July: Junge Garde, Dresden*
Wednesday 12th July: SparkassenPark, Mönchengladbach* (with ZZ Top)
Saturday 15th July: Brentwood Festival, Brentwood*
Saturday 29th July: Festival Benatska, Ski Areal Liberec*
Friday 4th August: Schlossgarten, Schwetzingen*
Friday 25th August: Summerdays Festival, Arbon*
Saturday 26th August: Seaside Festival, Spiez*
Thursday 31st August: Platz vor dem Bischofspalais, Rottenburg*
Saturday 21st October: Rock The Boat 2017** (Departs Sydney, Australia on Monday 16th October 2017)
Tuesday 21st November: Bielefeld, Stadthalle**
Wednesday 22nd November: Hannover Kuppelsaal**
Monday 11th December: Friedrich-Stadt-Palast, Berlin**
Tuesday 12th December: Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle**
Wednesday 13th December: Baden Baden, Festspielhaus**
Friday 15th December: Stuttgart, Liederhalle**
Saturday 16th December: Halle/Saale, Friedrich Händel Halle**
Monday 18th December: Düsseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle**
Tuesday 19th December: Hamburg, Mehr! Theater**
Wednesday 21st December: Nürnberg, Meistersingerhalle**

* - Electric
** - Acoustic

Status Quo are:
Francis Rossi – Vocals/Guitars
Andrew Bown – Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals
John ‘Rhino’ Edwards – Bass Guitar/Vocals
Richie Malone – Guitars
Leon Cave – Drums/Backing Vocals

Please Note: Tickets for the show on 4th December 2016 at Zénith de Paris will not be valid for 2nd May concert at Salle Pleyel. People who are unable to attend the concert on 2nd May can get a refund for their tickets only at the point of sale where the tickets were originally purchased. If you wish to attend the show, you must return the ticket for the 4th December concert at the point of sale where it was purchased, and buy a new ticket for the 2nd May show.








 
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