Sky Saxon of sixties rock outfit The Seeds has died in Austin, Texas, from as yet undetermined causes. He is thought to have been around the age of 63.
The Seeds' lead singer and founder was born Richard Marsh in Salt Lake City and began his career performing doo-wop in the early sixties, before changing his name and moving on to a more psychedelic sound that made his band a favourite with the 'flower power' generation. Saxon had recently moved to Austin, where he played with a new band, Shapes Have Fangs, and was planning to take part in retrospective tour the California '66 Revue.
Rock critic Lester Bangs once wrote: "All the bikers around San Diego thought the Seeds were apocalypse, then, I recall one hog-ridin' couple ... who didn't take the Seeds' first album off their turntable for three solid months".