Steve Mackay, saxophonist for the Stooges, has died aged 66 after being diagnosed with sepsis.
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“Steve was a classic ’60s American guy, full of generosity and love for anyone he met”, said singer Iggy Pop in a statement on Facebook.
‘He was a credit to his group and to his generation.
The sax-man was a member of Iggy and The Stooges and featured on the iconic 1970 album Fun House, before leaving the band.
Their 1970 album together was later expanded into a very big, seven-disc box set in 1999 titled The Complete Fun House Sessions. He would return to touring with The Stooges when the group reunited in 2003, performing his tenor saxophone with them in the years that followed.
Mackay had been in critical condition at a California hospital with the life-threatening infection, which can lead to multiple organ failure.
Steve returned to the group in 2003 and played at their first show in 29 years at the Coachella Music Festival.
He contributed to the comeback albums Ready to Die (2007) and The Weirdness (2013); and collaborated with acts including the Violent Femmes, Sonny Vincent Snakefinger and Commander Cody.
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Iggy wasn’t alone in his mourning, as other industry figures who knew or had worked with Mackay are also using social media to pass on messages of love and remembrance. “It was all his own”.
