Michael Dunford (Renaissance) RIP :(

**mnprogger** · 11-21-2012

http://www.facebook.com/notes/renais...31595216896389

I just saw this on Facebook, what a sad start to Thanksgiving Weekend. And Renaissance have a new album coming soon, which also makes this sting even more. I will never forget finally getting to see them June of 2010 in Chicago.

RIP

Michael Dunford of Renaissance Passes Away
by Renaissance on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 3:40pm ·
Michael Dunford, musical composer and guitarist of the progressive rock band Renaissance passed away on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. He had just returned home from the first leg of the band’s North American tour and suffered a massive Instantaneous Cerebral Hemorrhage while dining at his home in Surrey, England Monday night. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared his condition irreversible and terminal. He passed away at 11:06 pm GMT, surrounded by his family without having regained consciousness.

The fairly reclusive and soft-spoken composer, a mainstay in the world of progressive rock, was born, raised and educated in Surrey. His first job was selling clothing in a local shop followed by a stint as an airside driver at Heathrow Airport which enabled him to form a “skiffle” group which lead to his first rock band called Nashville Teens in the early 1960s. Nashville Teens reached #6 on U.K. singles charts with their version of Tobacco Road. On leaving them, he formed several other bands including The Pentad and The Plebes. One night he went to see the original band Renaissance perform locally and ended up joining them in the early 1970s. The original band members were Jim McCarty, Louis Cennamo, John Hawken, Keith Relf and Jane Relf.

Dunford and vocalist Annie Haslam took over Renaissance’s reins in 1971 and soon had established the group as a world class recording and touring act, selling out venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall and The Royal Albert Hall in London. They would go on to release over a dozen albums before eventually parting ways in the mid-1980s. However, they would continue to write new material together and in 2001 reunited the band to record a new studio album, tour the following year, and release a live album. After another sabbatical, the refreshed line-up was introduced to the world and captured for posterity on Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and Other Stories Live 2011.

Earlier this fall, Dunford and the band completed recording their first new studio album in twelve years. Grandine il Vento was recorded at Studio X in Ridgewood NJ, USA. All the music on the new album except for one track was composed and arranged by Dunford and features him on acoustic guitars and backing vocals.

Michael Dunford is survived by his wife Clare, two sons William (13) and Oliver (10), and sister Judy Kendall. Services will be held at Woking Crematorium at a date to be announced.

For more information and materials contact:Howard Wuelfing at Howlin’ Wuelf Media, Inc. 215-428-9119, howlingwuelf@aol.com

**Harbottle** · 11-21-2012

Someone just posted on the Big Big train Facebook page that Michael Dunford has passed away.

**BadWolf** · 11-21-2012

This from the Renaissance Facebook page:

"Michael Dunford, musical composer and guitarist of the progressive rock band Renaissance passed away on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. He had just returned home from the first leg of the band’s North American tour and suffered a massive Instantaneous Cerebral Haemorrhage while dining at his home in Surrey, England Monday night. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared his condition irreversible and terminal. He passed away at 11:06 pm GMT, surrounded by his family without having regained consciousness."

Terrible. A vastly underrated talent in my opinion.

RIP and thanks for the music.

**carollover** · 11-21-2012

I'm absolutely gutted to learn this. That sweet acoustic guitar has enriched my life immeasurably. I'm glad now I had the chance to see Renaissance in 2009 and 2011. The snippets of their new album also sound wonderful. He struck me as a kind, gentle, gifted man. I'm sure Annie is inconsolable. What terrible news.

**Spiral** · 11-21-2012

Oh my god.

I saw that thread title and thought "wow, I didn't even know he was sick." But if he wasn't and it was all out of nowhere... that's just awful.

What a shame. I'm missing the guy already.

**trurl** · 11-21-2012

Oh my!

This is awful news.

**Progatron** · 11-21-2012

A sad day. R.I.P.

**progeezer** · 11-21-2012

I too am very saddened. His family is just devastated I'm sure. A lovely guitarist. What will happen to the well-received resurrected Renaissance now?

I loved them at Rosfest.

**bill g** · 11-21-2012

Oh my goodness. I can't believe it. I had the pleasure of a meal and good conversation with the man many years ago. A really, really nice gentleman. Very tragic.

**spellbound** · 11-21-2012

Very sad to hear this. Rest in peace, Michael.

**roylayer** · 11-21-2012

This is terrible news. Renaissance has always been one of my very favorite bands. I am saddened for his family, friends, and thousands of fans around the world.

**zombywoof** · 11-21-2012

I'm shocked. I, like many other PE members, had the honor of meeting him at NEARfest. I'm terribly sad at the news. My thoughts go out to his family and friends in Renaissance.

**everythingtoexcess** · 11-21-2012

I got to talk with him a little at NEARfest. Absolutely the nicest guy imaginable, and a brilliant writer. R.I.P.

**Harbottle** · 11-21-2012

I too am saddened and shocked by this.

I found out about Renaissance by accident in the 1990s, when I picked up a compilation of 'prog' tunes that featured a lot of non-Prog tunes by people like Skip Bifferty, Deep Purple and The Rattles. One track was Northern Lights by Renaissance, which I remembered from childhood...

I then picked up the 'Tales of 1001 Nights' volume 2 compilation and was absolutely hooked as soon as I heard 'Can You Hear me?', an absolutely magnificent track that excited me as much as I'd been excited by discovering YES, Tull and others a few years before... I always adored that acoustic guitar sound.

RIP.

**harbinger58** · 11-21-2012

Awful news. RIP Michael.

**ProgArtist** · 11-21-2012

I am in shock about this. I was hoping to finally get to see Renaissance some time in the next year. Michael wrote and performed on some of my favorite songs of ALL TIME, so this is a serious blow to me. I'm trying to think of the passing of any other musician that has affected me like this. Rest in peace, Michael.

**ProgArtist** · 11-21-2012

Originally Posted by Harbottle

I too am saddened and shocked by this.

I found out about Renaissance by accident in the 1990s, when I picked up a compilation of 'prog' tunes that featured a lot of non-Prog tunes by people like Skip Bifferty, Deep Purple and The Rattles. One track was Northern Lights by Renaissance, which I remembered from childhood...

I then picked up the 'Tales of 1001 Nights' volume 2 compilation and was absolutely hooked as soon as I heard 'Can You Hear me?', an absolutely magnificent track that excited me as much as I'd been excited by discovering YES, Tull and others a few years before... I always adored that acoustic guitar sound.

RIP.

Same for me. Tales vol 2 was my introduction and I was immediately hooked by 'Can You Hear Me?" For me, Renaissance is a top tier band and deserves mention with the likes of Yes, Genesis, etc.

**Fracktured** · 11-21-2012

WOW! No one saw this coming. Just saw them at the Keswick last month. Very sad indeed. RIP Michael. Thanks for the great music and memories of many great concerts throughout the years. You will be missed for sure by many people.

Rick

**jviola95** · 11-21-2012

I can't believe this. I'm really grateful that I got to see and meet him at NEARFest. He was a great musician and seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

**Firth** · 11-21-2012

So incredibly sad that a musician can be so productive and yet then leave us. RIP Sir MIchael Dunford.

**progman1975** · 11-21-2012

**Sean** · 11-21-2012

So terribly sorry to hear this news! I spoke with him briefly at NEARfest about his 12 string guitars and he was the nicest guy. Our thoughts are with his family and the band at this time.