Psychedelic-folk musician and painter Ed Askew has died, aged 84

Ed Askew, a psychedelic folk musician with a cult following has died aged 84.

The news of his death was shared by musical collaborators Jerry David DeCicca and Jay Pluck, who each shared respective posts on social media.

At time of writing, a cause of death has not yet been announced.

Taking to Instagram, the DeCicca shared a personal tribute to the artist and musician, writing: “You were loved and always will be. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life & music. Producing ‘For The World’ was an honour.”

Askew was born in Connecticut in 1940 and began his career as a painter, graduating from Yale School Of Art in 1963, before making the shift to become a musician.

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A post shared by Jerry David DeCicca (@jerrydaviddecicca)

He shared his debut album ‘Ask The Unicorn’ back in 1968, and went on to gradually develop a cult following in the ‘80s after moving to New York City and developing a unique style of acid and folk.

‘Ask The Unicorn’ was later re-released by Drag City in 2015 as a resurgence of interest in Askew’s work arose, and throughout his career the songwriter shared 11 studio albums.

One of his most listened-to releases was the 2013 album ‘For The World’. Released via Tin Angel, it included musical collaborations with Sharon Van Etten, Mary Lattimore, Marc Ribot, and more.

Aside from the full studio albums, Askew also self-released hundreds of songs on cassettes and later on his Bandcamp page.

In a statement with Pitchfork, Jay Pluck said: “Ed was a brave gay songwriter from the beginning and I hope more come to know this.… Ed’s music changed the lives of people from many generations and continues to do so. His close friends, collaborators and constant spring of new friends and fans will miss him forever.”

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A post shared by Jay Pluck (@jaypluck)

Richard Guy of Tin Angel added: “Ed had an ability as a songwriter and an artist to create works of art that touched people’s hearts. He was gentle, humble, funny, endlessly creative and inquisitive. I could go on and on but suffice to say we are heartbroken.”

You can find a collection of Ed Askew’s work on his Bandcamp page here.

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