’70s Rockstar Johnny Fean Has Died

Johnny Fean, long-time guitarist with the Irish traditional rock band Horslips, has died. Fean passed away at his home in Shannon in County Clare on Friday morning at the age of 71, his bandmates Jim Lockhart, Eamonn Carr, Barry Devlin, and Charles O’Connor confirmed in a statement. A cause of death was not disclosed.
 
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the band said they were “deeply saddened to announce the passing of band member Johnny Feans, who dies this morning at his home in Shannon.” The band went on to pay tribute to Fean, sharing that “for well over 50 years Johnny was our best friend, our creative collaborator, our guitar hero. Johnny wasn’t only one of the greatest guitar players ever, he was also the sweetest man in rock and roll. His immeasurable talent won him countless supporters throughout the years. We remain his biggest fans. He devoted his life to music and we’ll be forever thankful that he did…Johnny will be sorely missed.”

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Regarded as the “founding fathers of Celtic rock,” Horslips formed in 1970 with Fean joining shortly after. The band became well-known their blend of rock music fused with Irish traditional tunes, with some of their most wellknown songs including “Dearg Doom,” which per the BBC was based on a traditional march and had lyrics inspired by the legendary Irish warrior Cú Chulainn, as well as the song “Trouble with a Capital T.” Fean played on all 10 of the band’s albums, including landmark works Dancehall Sweethearts and The Book of Invasions.
 
Amid news of his passing, tributes have poured in for Fean. On Twitter, Irish Culture Minister Catherine Martin wrote that she was “very sorry to hear the sad news. His guitar playing was fundamental to Horslips’ groundbreaking trad infused rock music, still so widely loved to this day.” The Stunning’s Steve Wall tweeted, “A legend is gone. Rest in Peace Johnny Fean.”
 
In addition to Horslips, Fean also played in a number of other bands, forming the Zen Alligators in 1980 alongside Carr before the break-up of Horslips the same year, according to RTE. Fean and Carr also played together in Host, which also featured O’Connor. Fean played with former Miami Showband bassist Steve Travers in The Johnny Fean Band and had been playing again with Horslips on and off since 2009 on comeback tours. Fean is survived by his wife Maggie, brothers Ray, Donal and Shearie and sisters Gail and Corna.