Trevor Bolder, David Bowie's bassist for four huge albums, died yesterday, May 21, after a four-year battle against pancreatic cancer. Bolder may have not been widely known, but the music he helped create is some of the most memorable and well-known that there is.
Bolder was part of the Spiders From Mars, playing in David Bowie's band from 1971 to 1973. He played on four albums, Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Pin Ups. He also appeared the concert movie Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture, as seen below.
David Bowie released a statement on his website, saying "Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man."
After the Spiders From Mars, Bolder joined English rock band Uriah Heep in 1976. He played on four more albums with them until they split in 1981. He worked with several other acts before rejoining Uriah Heep, which had reformed. He stayed with them, playing and even recording an album in 2011. He worked with them until his health became too poor to continue.