World Party frontman Karl Wallinger has passed away at the age of 66, according to a statement from his publicist. The Welsh-born musician, who also served as an early member of the Waterboys, died on Sunday. While no cause of death has been announced, Wallinger had previously suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001, which led to a pause in his career for several years.
Wallinger founded World Party in 1986 following his departure from the Waterboys and independently recorded the group’s debut album, ‘Private Revolution,’ at home. The album, released in 1987, achieved unexpected success with the hit single ‘Ship of Fools.’ Subsequently, the group embarked on tours and released four additional albums by 2000, garnering further hits such as ‘Put The Message In the Box’ and ‘Is It Like Today?’
Despite Wallinger’s health setback, World Party resumed activities in 2006 and continued touring until 2015. In a 2022 interview, Wallinger revealed plans for the group’s reformation and upcoming tours.
Born in Wales in 1957, Wallinger initially pursued a career as a keyboardist with various bands and briefly served as the musical director for ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ in London. Upon joining the Waterboys in 1983, he contributed as a multi-instrumentalist on the band’s first three albums, including the 1985 hit ‘This Is the Sea,’ which featured the popular single ‘Whole of the Moon.’
Following Wallinger’s departure from the Waterboys to establish World Party, he also collaborated on labelmate Sinead O’Connor’s debut album ‘The Lion and the Cobra,’ with O’Connor providing backing vocals for the first two World Party albums. While the subsequent albums did not replicate the chart success of the debut, they achieved commendable sales, maintaining the group’s popularity throughout the late 1990s.
Wallinger’s musical contributions extended beyond his own projects, as he served as the musical director for the 1994 film ‘Reality Bites’ and contributed to the ‘Clueless’ soundtrack in the subsequent year. Additionally, he participated in the ‘Big Blue Ball’ album, overseen by Peter Gabriel, which was recorded in the 1990s but withheld until its release in 2008.
Despite the extensive touring following his recovery, World Party did not release any new albums during those years. However, Wallinger had assured the public of forthcoming new material during his 2022 interview.
Wallinger’s legacy in the music industry was acknowledged by Waterboys leader Mike Scott, who paid tribute to him as ‘one of the finest musicians I’ve ever known.’
Karl Wallinger is survived by…
