Founder of Garage Legends the Seeds Passes Away in Austin

By William Michael Smith Thu., Jun. 25 2009 at 1:55 PM

Categories: Miles-tones, Slip Inside This House, This Just In

No one is pushing too hard on Sky Saxon anymore. The leader of '60s garage band the Seeds died overnight in Austin, where he recently relocated. He had been in critical condition in the ICU at St. David's South Austin Hospital, Saxon's publicist Jennifer Marchand said.

Saxon, born Richard Marsh, is credited with being a founder of the Flower Power movement in rock. "Pushin' Too Hard" was his only song to ever make the Top 40, but Saxon leaves behind a large body of work and an important legacy to American pop music. He's been described as one of the progenitors of garage rock and psychedelia, and like Roky Erickson and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, is frequently cited as an important proto-punk influence.

Despite largely disappearing from the pop radar screen by the end of the '60s, Saxon stayed involved in music and art the rest of his life. Perhaps the most ironic thing about his passing is that he had booked a long tour for this fall with fellow Nuggets A-listers Electric Prunes and Love.

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