Richie Edwards was the lead guitarist and founding member of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his distinctive style and unique contributions to the band’s sound. Richey Disappeared in late January 1995 his car found abandoned at a popular suicide spot.
The following is an excerpt from the website Love It loud Published on May 11, 2011 by Christian Sellers
On On January 31 the four members of the band had met once again to work on demos for their next album and then later that evening Edwards and singer James Dean Bradfield had checked in at the Embassy Hotel on Bayswater Road in London. Having passed up the chance to watch a movie at the cinema with Bradfield, Edwards remained locked in his room for the remainder of the evening. The following morning, he wrapped up a parcel for a close friend and then left behind his Prozac on the bed, before leaving the hotel at 7am and heading back to Cardiff, where he had recently bought a flat. When he was unable to locate Edwards later that morning, Martin Hall, the band’s manager, became concerned for his welfare due to his history with depression and self-mutilation and began to phone around family and friends. Hall contacted the police the morning after and filed a missing person report, whilst also cancelling their US and European tour dates. His disappearance was eventually announced to the press on February 15, two weeks after he was last seen, in the hope that this would prompt him to contact them. His father, Graham Edwards, also made an appeal on BBC Radio One for his son to return home but his whereabouts remained unknown. One suspicious piece of information that was discovered was that each day for two weeks prior to the incident Edwards had been drawing out £200 and had left his credit card at home. On February 16 his vehicle, a silver Cavalier, was found abandoned at a service station near Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire, a notorious location for suicides. There was evidence that the car had been slept in and the battery was flat and the police immediately began searching the water for a body. It was only a matter of days before sighting of Edwards were revealed, although one of the most promising was from a taxi driver who claimed to have given a man matching his description a ride to several train stations, before eventually dropping him off near the bridge.
Lately there have been siting’s of Richey in the Canary Islands….How he travels about in this day and age without a passport is beyond me!
Edwards’ absence has been deeply felt by the band and its fans. Manic Street Preachers have continued to perform and record music in the years since his disappearance, but the loss of their lead guitarist has undoubtedly left a void in their sound and in their personal lives.
The disappearance of Richie Edwards serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing the time we have with our loved ones. It is a mystery that may never be fully solved, but his memory and impact on the music world will always be remembered.