# RIP: John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson, etc.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2017, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657 "2017-01-31T12:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/1 "2017-01-31T12:56:51Z")
[Cancer claims another prog legend.](http://teamrock.com/news/2017-01-31/john-wetton-dies-aged-67) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/2 "2017-01-31T13:49:49Z")
Fuck. Playing [Starless](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfR6_V91fG8) right now, in his memory. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/3 "2017-01-31T15:53:33Z")
Sad to hear this–he had been ill for awhile. My introduction to him was at a Crimso gig at Winterland. To say that his playing was ferocious would be an understatement. I think my favorite song of his is [Same Time Next Week](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHlqHfxyio) from Phil Manzanera’s _Diamond Head_. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/4 "2017-01-31T16:29:22Z")
I’ve known this was coming, but it’s still so difficult. He’ll be missed. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/5 "2017-01-31T17:34:49Z")
I really enjoyed King Crimson’s work during the Wetton period. _“Health food faggot, bothered bride”._ Great stuff. I thought that, among other talents, his voice gave the music more depth. You’ll always be somewhere in my playlist, John. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/6 "2017-01-31T19:04:46Z")
I saw Asia shortly after their debut album came out in 1982. The show was mainly memorable for its opening act; the band they were touring with had a bar gig that night, so they were replaced by A magician. Yeah, the kind you would hire for a kid’s birthday party. :smack: He was booed roundly, except when a scantily clad female assistant walked out onstage, at which time the men cheered and the women booed louder, and this was reversed when she walked offstage. He also did an act with doves, which prompted the audience to chant “Ozzy! Ozzy! Ozzy!” (the show was in Ames, Iowa, 30 miles north of Des Moines, where Ozzy had bitten the head off a dead bat several months previously. I would imagine there were quite a few people who had been in both audiences. Also, Carl Palmer took his shirt off during his drum solo. We women liked that. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/7 "2017-01-31T22:38:42Z")
Besides King Crimson, Uriah Heap and Asia, Wetton was also in a great band called UK, with Eddie Jobson, Bill Bruford, and Alan Holdsworth, who put out two awesome albums in the late 70s. (Holdsworth and Bruford left after the first album, and Terry Bozzio joined for the second.) I was a little kid then, but got to see their reunion show (Wetton-Jobson-Bozzio) in 2012. It was incredible. You’ll be missed, John. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/8 "2017-02-01T01:14:23Z")
Two Crimson bassist-vocalists in a few weeks! Gordon Haskell has to be really nervous about now. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-john-wetton-asia-king-crimson-etc/778657/9 "2017-02-02T14:01:14Z")
Here’s a very early version of [Starless](https://mais.uol.com.br/view/7ccmzd49p9jw/king-crimson--starless--live-1974-melody-french-tv-0402CD983362C8914326?types=A&) from French TV, this one with David Cross on violin; an amazing tune.