Caravan Drummer Richard Coughlan Dies
Richard Coughlan, the original drummer for the art-rock band Caravan, has died. The 66-year-old Coughlan had been in poor health for the past few years and passed away at home last week.
The band announced the news on its Facebook page: "It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that Richard Coughlan passed away on Sunday, December 1. May he Rest in Peace." He is survived by his wife, Sue, and daughter, Beth.
Coughlan was a founding member of Caravan, who were part of the celebrated Canterbury Scene of the late '60s that also included Soft Machine, Gong, Camel and Hatfield. Early on, he was also involved with the Wilde Flowers, an early-'60s ensemble that also featured two founding members of the Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers.
Caravan's music was artful, melodic and distinctly adventurous, and a product of its era. But it was also transcendent, with albums like their 1968 self-titled debut, 1970's 'If I Could Do It Again, I'd Do It All Over You' (1970) and 1971's 'In the Land of Grey and Pink' becoming early prog-rock classics.