Cult folk singer Ed Askew has died

The cultishly-loved, veteran folk singer Ed Askew has passed away at 84 years old. His collaborators Jay Pluck and Jerry David DeCicca separately broke the news on Instagram, as Stereogum points out. No cause of death has been revealed.

Jerry David DeCicca wrote, “Goodbye, Ed Askew. You were loved and always will be. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life & music. Producing [2013’s] For the World was an honor.”

Ed released his debut album Ask The Unicorn in 1968, and the album spent many years living in obscurity until renewed interest arose during the 2000s freak folk era. He recorded a second album in 1970 called Little Eyes that was never properly released until a 2003 reissue by De Stijl, and in 1984 he gave a very limited release to another album called Imperfiction. Drag City has since reissued both Ask The Unicorn and Imperfiction. Ed stayed very active in more recent years–his Bandcamp is loaded with newer material and he continued to play live shows that coincided with his reissues and overall resurgence.

Rest in peace, Ed. You were a true original and you’ll be missed.

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