He was the man behind one of the most famous pieces of album cover artwork ever produced.
Graphic artist Storm Thorgerson, who produced the illustration of light refracted through a prism for Pink Floyd’s 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon, died yesterday aged 69 after a battle with cancer.
A long-term collaborator with Pink Floyd and a childhood friend of its members, Mr Thorgerson also created covers for multi-million selling albums by Led Zeppelin, Muse and Peter Gabriel.
Passed away: Graphic artist Storm Thorgerson (left), who produced the illustration of light refracted through a prism for Pink Floyd's 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon (right), died aged 69 after a battle with cancer
Other works: Thorgerson, a long-term collaborator with Pink Floyd and a childhood friend of its members created the cover art for their 1994 album Division Bell (left) and 1975 record Wish You Were Here (right)
A statement on Pink Floyd’s website said: ‘We are saddened by the news that long-time Pink Floyd graphic genius, friend and collaborator, Storm Thorgerson, has died. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends.’
Dave Gilmour, the band's vocalist and guitarist, added that the designs Thorgerson created for Pink Floyd were an ‘inseparable part of our work’ and that they had ‘first met in our early teens’.
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He said: ‘We would gather at Sheep's Green, a spot by the river in Cambridge, and Storm would always be there holding forth, making the most noise, bursting with ideas and enthusiasm.
‘Nothing has ever really changed. He has been a constant force in my life, both at work and in private, a shoulder to cry on and a great friend. I will miss him.’
Thorgerson died peacefully surrounded by family and friends, his family said, adding: ‘He had been ill for some time with cancer though he had made a remarkable recovery from his stroke in 2003.’
Well-known: Thorgerson - who is survived by his mother, son, wife Barbie Antonis and her two children - also designed covers for 2003 Muse album Absolution (left) and 1973 Led Zeppelin record Houses of the Holy (right)
He is survived by his mother Vanji, his son Bill, his wife Barbie Antonis and her two children Adam and Georgia.
‘Storm Thorgerson’ was trending on Twitter within an hour of his death being reported, with users remembering Dark Side Of The Moon and a man covered in lightbulbs for the live album Delicate Sound Of Thunder. Other notable - often surreal - works included images of people hanging upside-down in a desert landscape for Alan Parson's 1993 album Try Anything Once and two onions with women sprouting out of them for Umphrey's McGee's The Bottom Half