Sad news came in of a passing of John Gustafson, one of the best bass players on this planet and one of the nicest persons around. A stalwart of a Liverpool scene, where he was a mainstay of THE BIG THREE and sometimes played with THE BEATLES, Gus was mostly known for his stint with IAN GILLAN BAND and singing Simon Zealotes in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” although his playing reached much wider, and ROXY MUSIC’s “Love Is The Drug” is just one of famous pieces featuring his four strings.
There also were QUATERMASS and HARD STUFF which showcased John’s art ‘n’ heavy approach, the appearance in Roger Glover’s “Butterfly Ball” extravaganza, and the only solo album. In the latter years, Gustafson didn’t play much, though – save for the shows with THE STAR COMBO alongside veterans such as Tony Newman who introduced us to each other – because of the illness. And now Gus left this world.
“I’ve had some fantastic times in my career, too many to itemize,” – said John to DME in what possibly is his only interview on the web, – “but I don’t think I would change anything, the highs and lows as well as a lot of luck sometimes all had a part to play!” Quite right!
“He’s my all-time hero bass player of the world,” noticed John’s former colleague Mick Underwood. And not only his. Rest in peace, Gus.
