February 1, 1995 – Richard “Richey” James Edwards, the former co-lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers was officially ‘presumed dead’ on November 24, 2008 after he disappeared without a trace on Feb 1st 1995. He was born on December 22nd 1967.
He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status like Eddie of Eddie and the Cruisers, and he is frequently cited as one of the best lyricists of all time.
As a musician however he had little to no value to ad to the band. He was a weirdo that I can’t give to much credit, except for his quality as a lyricist. Self mutilation under the disguise of needing attention, whether with cigarette burns or razorblades, to proof that you’re real has little to do with musical expressions, but are the signs of a very disturbed individual.
“When I cut myself I feel better,” he stated on more than one occasion.
He suffered severe bouts of depression in his adult life and was open about it in interviews: “If you’re hopelessly depressed like I was, then dressing up is just the ultimate escape. When I was young I just wanted to be noticed. Nothing could excite me except attention so I’d dress up as much as I could. Outrage and boredom just go hand in hand.”
“Gets to a point where you really can’t operate any more as a human being – you can’t get out of bed, you can’t…make yourself a cup of coffee without something going badly wrong or your body’s too weak to walk.”
If you want to read more about this freak try https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richey_Edwards
