Storm Thorgerson, Pink Floyd album designer, dies
The man behind one of the most classic album covers of all time has died.
The U.K.'s Telegraph reports that Storm Thorgerson, the English graphic designer who created Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" died Thursday, according to his manager. He was 69.
A statement released by Thorgerson's family said, "His ending was peaceful and he was surrounded by family and friends. He had been ill for some time with cancer though he had made a remarkable recovery from his stroke in 2003."
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour said in a statement: "The artworks that he created for Pink Floyd from 1968 to the present day have been an inseparable part of our work."
Gilmour continued, "We first met in our early teens. We would gather at Sheep's Green, a spot by the river in Cambridge and Storm would always be there holding forth, making the most noise, bursting with ideas and enthusiasm. Nothing has ever really changed. He has been a constant force in my life, both at work and in private, a shoulder to cry on and a great friend...I will miss him."
A statement on the Pink Floyd's website said: "We are saddened by the news that long-time Pink Floyd graphic genius, friend and collaborator, Storm Thorgerson, has died. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends."
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." In addition to being Floyd's longtime collaborator, Thorgerson also designed the covers for Led Zeppelin's 1976 "Presence" album and 1979's "In Through the Out Door." Through the years, he designed artwork for Phish, Styx, the Cranberries, Muse, Genesis, Black Sabbath and Peter Gabriel.
In 2010, he told BBC News, "People pay me for my thoughts and my dreams. I think in that sense I'm very fortunate."
He's survived by his mother Vanji, his son Bill, his wife Barbie Antonis and her two children Adam and Georgia.
