Hugh Hopper

Hugh Hopper was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion musician who mainly played the bass guitar, but also the saxophone, guitar and mellophone as well as being a composer and an author. He was born in Canterbury, Kent, England, 29 April 1945. He was part of the so-called 'Canterbury scene'. Originally a member of The Wilde Flowers, he replaced Kevin Ayers in Soft Machine in 1969 and stayed with the group until 1973, into what is considered the classic and most famous incarnation of the band. After leaving Soft Machine, he played mostly in the jazz/jazz rock vein with a vast number of different bands, many of them adopting a name with the word 'Soft' as a reference to his glorious past. He died from leukaemia in Whitstable, Kent, 7 June 2009.