A former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has shared some devastating information a few good friend and colleague.

Strictly star Toyah Willcox has paid tribute to her co-writer and good friend Keith Hale who has died (Picture: Toyah Willcox Instagram)
Strictly Come Dancing star Toyah Willcox has paid tribute following the loss of life of music legend Keith Hale on the age of 75. The songwriter, composer, document producer and performer was a member of the long-lasting English rock band Hawkwind and likewise loved a protracted affiliation with Toyah. He co-wrote and co-produced her debut album Sheep Farming in Barnet in 1979 and her first single Victims of the Riddle. He additionally co-penned her seminal 1981 hit It is A Thriller which reached quantity 4 on the UK Singles Chart, and was a member of her touring band.
Taking to Instagram Toyah shared a throwback picture of the pair of them collectively, together with certainly one of him on stage. She captioned it: “My ideas are with Keith Hale’s household & mates, particularly Alice, Keith’s daughter. Keith will probably be significantly missed. I owe a lot to Keith’s musical legacy from his groundbreaking band Blood Donor, who have been staggeringly authentic proper by to the success of ‘It’s A Thriller’. Keith was in my dwell band in 1982, and he was a gentleman and a superb good friend. I’m grateful for the time I had with him.”
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Keith first discovered success with the band Blood Donor, which he shaped in 1977. They signed a take care of Arista Information in 1979 however inner company disputes meant their album was by no means launched, though they did challenge two singles Rubber Revolution and Rice Harvest. In 2002, they reunited for a one-off twenty fifth anniversary live performance.
In 1980, Keith joined the legendary Hawkwind as a alternative for keyboardist Tim Blake. Nevertheless, he and drummer Ginger Baker walked out after the band’s bust-up at Rockfield Studios.
Ginger then roped Keith into his subsequent mission, Ginger Baker’s Nutters, which additionally included outdated mates Billy Jenkins and Ian Trimmer, in addition to Blood Donor bassist Rikki Legair. The band did two lengthy European excursions and recorded two dwell albums, Reside in Milan 1980 and Ginger Baker in Live performance, however they cut up when Ginger needed to depart the UK for tax causes.
One other added: “I by no means noticed the Toyah band in 1982, however wow, what a sound you guys made. Pondering of all Keith’s household and mates at this very tough time x.”
On Fb, a 3rd chimed in: “Unhappy to listen to concerning the loss of life of Keith Hale, one other of the prolonged Hawkwind tribe gone…”
A fourth shared: “RIP Keith. So unhappy to listen to that my pricey good friend and early mentor, Keith Hale, has handed away. Keith had been in Hawkwind (with Ginger Baker) and wrote It is a Thriller, which Toyah Wilcox took to Quantity 4, however I would bonded with him over a deeply shared love of Dylan. Only a fantastic man.”
In the meantime, a fifth merely wrote: “Unhappy to listen to Keith Hale handed away a few days in the past.”
















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