Posted by American musician David Fair has died. The musician formed the seminal group Half Japanese alongside his brother, Jad Fair. The project emerged from their bedroom in the mid-70s, before finding a home amid the post-punk underground of the 1980s.
Half Japanese came to define the noisier, scrappier, and endlessly creative end of indie rock, with their lo-fi techniques and sheer imagination proving to be enduringly influential. Their 1980 debut album, ‘Half Gentleman / Not Beasts’, sparked a lengthy discography, with their 21st-century output containing a slew of releases on UK imprint Fire Records.
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David Fair passed away over the weekend following lengthy treatment for cancer. Producer and friend Don Fleming wrote of Fair’s passing on social media: “David Fair of 1/2 Japanese and Coo Coo Rockin’ Time died yesterday. His daughter Harper toasted him with a root beer float, and he passed soon after, peacefully. He had been getting treatments for cancer over the last couple of years. The sweetest guy, with a great sense of humor. He was a pure artist and musician, all from the heart. Goodbye David.”
Photo Credit: Craig Bowen