Legendary drummer Tony Allen dies, aged 79

The legendary drummer, best known for his work with Fela Kuti and The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Tony Allen has died, aged 79.

His manager Eric Trosset confirmed the news that Allen had passed away in Paris earlier today (1st May), and is alleged to have been from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Tony Allen was regularly praised for his work bringing afrobeat to a western audience, and was named by his The Good, the Bad & the Queen bandmate Damon Albarn as the greatest drummer in the world, with the father of modern afrobeat Fela Kuti stating, "Without Tony Allen, there would be no afrobeat".

Listen again to his work on the Fela Kuti track 'Water No Get Enemy' in the player below.

More News

Nimmo return with new single 'Too Late'

After dazzling us with a bunch of great singles back in 2016, electro-pop duo Nimmo have returned with their first new material in two years. The... 6 years 1 month ago

Shamir surprise releases new album 'Resolution'

After having an extremely productive 2017 by releasing two studio album, Shamir has returned with yet another full-length release. The new eight-... 6 years 1 month ago

Lily Allen shares new singles 'Higher' and 'Three'

With her long-awaited new album set to arrive in the summer, Lily Allen has now dropped two new singles taken from her upcoming full-length. The... 6 years 1 month ago

George Ezra unveils new single 'Hold My Girl'

With only a few weeks left before he releases his highly-anticipated new studio album, George Ezra has now dropped the latest cut from his... 6 years 1 month ago

Ulrika Spacek announce new EP 'Suggestive Listening'

After releasing their latest album ‘Modern English Decoration’ in the middle of last year, Ulrika Spacek have returned less than 12 months later to... 6 years 1 month ago

Simian Mobile Disco share new single 'Hey Sister'

After announcing their plans for a new studio album in the coming months back in February, Simian Mobile Disco have now returned with the next cut to... 6 years 1 month ago

Years & Years return with new single 'Sanctify'

After sharing the single 'Hypnotised' last year for a new Baz Luhrmann short film, Years... 6 years 1 month ago

Beach House announce new album '7'

After returning last month to share their new single 'Lemon Glow', Beach House has now announced the full details surrounding their next studio album... 6 years 1 month ago

Warpaint's Theresa Wayman announces debut solo album 'LoveLaws'

While bassist Jenny Lee released her self-titled debut album back in 2015, guitarist Theresa Wayman has become the second member of Warpaint to... 6 years 1 month ago