RIP Ray Thomas

[soundchaser]

I only opened this thread because I didn't know who he was (a common occurrence in obit threads). Once I found out he was a flautist from a band I, ahem, haven't cared for for a half-century or more, I was going to leave, because, well, don't speak ill of the dead and all that, but then I read the rest of the tributes, so I'll just say,
RIP Ray

That's really big of you.

[soundchaser]

My favourite Ray Thomas couplet:

The candy stores will be brand new,
And you’ll buy rock with the moon right through.

Brilliant songwriter.

[pcqgod]

I attended the Moody Blues' 'Days of Future Past' 50th Anniversary show in San Antonio last Friday. Before the show and during the intermission they played some of his songs and projected pictures of Ray with some cheap graphics of what looked like birthday candles superimposed; well, they have been on tour and probably were not expecting his passing after all. During the performance of 'Days', John Lodge sang Ray's vocal on "Another Morning" and Hayward sang lead on "Twilight Time." The orchestral portions were recorded, along with a video of Jeremy Irons performing the spoken word bits.
The band is now Hayward, Lodge and Edge with an additional drummer, a keyboardist and two additional multi-instrumentalists/vocalists. I enjoyed the show more than I expected. Hayward especially still sounds as good as ever.