Metal
Nigel Durham, Saxon’s drummer in 1987 and 1988, has died. Saxon announced the news on 24 October: “We are very sad to hear of the passing of a member of the Saxon family, former drummer Nigel Durham.” They sent their love to his wife, Lauretta, his daughter, Gemma, and his grandchildren. No cause has been given.
Durham took over from Nigel Glockler and played on “Destiny”, the band’s ninth studio album, produced by Stephan Galfas and released by EMI in March 1988. It’s the record with their cover of Christopher Cross’s “Ride Like the Wind”, and it reached number 49 in the UK albums chart. It was his only album with Saxon, and bassist Paul Johnson’s too: during the tour that followed, Glockler came back on drums, and Nibbs Carter took over on bass that same year.
After Saxon, Durham went on to play with two former members of the band, guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve Dawson. In 1999 all three were in Son of a Bitch, which later became Oliver/Dawson Saxon, and he stayed until 2010. From 2013 to 2016 he played with Morpheus Rising.
Glockler, the man he had replaced and who took the stool back on that tour, paid tribute: “RIP my friend, Nigel Durham — I will see you on the other side.”
Text by Roger Estivill