Mark E. Smith, 1957–2017

Mark E. Smith, vocalist for long-running punk band The Fall, passed away Wednesday after a brief illness. A lifelong Manchester resident, Smith formed The Fall after seeing The Sex Pistols in concert at Manchester Free Trade Hall, whose audience would also go on to form Simply Red, The Buzzcocks, Joy Division, and later, New Order. For the next 40 years Smith would lead a constantly revolving lineup of musicians, fusing the avant garde with rock  & roll, and his unique, acerbic, surreal wordplay. The Fall never had much mainstream popularity, instead garnering a small but loyal cult following. The late broadcaster John Peel considered them his favorite band, and featured their music on his radio shows frequently, influencing generations of future musicians who found something profound, and even beautiful, in the sounds they made. Mark E. Smith was sixty years old.