The Irish musician passed away on March 17 due to "post-flu complications".
A statement from his family said: "Bernie Torme passed away peacefully on the 17th March 2019, one day short of his 67th birthday, surrounded by his family.
"He had been on life support for the past four weeks at a London hospital following post-flu complications."Bernie will be remembered for dedicating his life to his music for five decades.
Ozzy Osbourne paid tribute to Tormé on social media. “What a sad day,” the singer wrote on Twitterthis link opens in a new tab. “We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie.”
What a sad day. We’ve lost another great musician. Bernie was a gentle soul with a heart of gold. He will be dearly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans. Rest in Peace Bernie. pic.twitter.com/Nx1bCiYbkO
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) March 18, 2019
Torme was known for his work with rock group Gillan, and played with Osbourne's band following the death of his guitarist Randy Rhoads in 1982.
Ozzy's wife Sharon said: "I cannot believe that Bernie Torme has passed."Bernie helped out Ozzy and I at a time of great need and we will never ever forget that. Love and condolences to his family
Bernie Tormé (born Bernard Joseph Tormey; 18 March 1952 – 17 March 2019) was an Irish rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, record label and recording studio owner. Tormé is best known for his work with Gillan, as well as his brief stints with Ozzy Osbourne's backing band and Atomic Rooster.
Tormé accepted the invitation of former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan in 1979 to join his band Gillan. Over the next four years, Gillan enjoyed three Top Ten UK albums (Mr. Universe, Glory Road, and Future Shock), in addition to extensive worldwide tours of Europe, Japan, and the United States.
In 1981 Tormé left Gillan, citing frustration over a lack of money despite the success the band was seeing. He was replaced by guitarist Janick Gers. He played as a live session man for Atomic Rooster and was hired in March 1982 by Jet Records to replace the recently deceased Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band. Tormé flew from England to Los Angeles with the promise that the job was his, even being paid an advance by Jet before leaving England. Though Osbourne had already settled on Robert Sarzo to replace Rhoads, he was forced to abide by the record company's decision and Tormé began rehearsing with the band. After only a handful of shows it became apparent that Tormé's bluesy style was not a good match for Osbourne's brand of heavy metal, and he elected to return to England to continue work on a solo album.[3] He was quickly replaced by Brad Gillis and the tour continued.(wikipedia)
