Richard E. Aaron/RedfernsCzech guitarist and songwriter Ivan Král, who played with Patti Smith among many others, died on Sunday. He was 71. A cause of death was not revealed.
“It’s with a heavy heart that at the request of Ivan Král’s wife I distribute this news of his passing today, Flowers of Hell founder Greg Jarvis announced Sunday on Twitter.
Král, who left the Czech Republic in 1966, played in an early incarnation of Blondie during the early 1970s, before joining Smith’s band as a guitarist and bass player from 1975-1979. Král co-wrote Smith’s hit “Dancing Barefoot,” which is listed in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Král also wrote songs for Iggy Pop, John Cale and U2.
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