King Crimson Robert Fripp Says Drummer Bill Rieflin Has Died At 59 ‘R.E.M.’ ‘Nine Inch Nails’

NEW YORK, NY. (THECOUNT) — King Crimson founder, Robert Fripp, announced on social media Tuesday, the passing of accomplished drummer, Bill Rieflin. He was 59.

Rieflin prolific credits include work with R.E.M., Ministry, Nine Inch Nails and of course King Crimson, among garnering many other session and touring credits.

In a post to social media, Fripp explained that Rieflin’s wife, Tracy, called him with the news. “Tracy told Toyah (Fripp’s wife) and me that the day was grey, and as Bill flew away the clouds opened, and the skies were blue for about fifteen minutes. Fly well, Brother Bill! My life is immeasurably richer for knowing you,” reports UltimateClassicRock.

Via UltimateClassicRock:

Rieflin played on Ministry’s 1988 album The Land of Rape and Honey, a landmark release in the industrial music genre. He continued as a member of the group through the mid-90s, contributing to five of the band’s LPs.

The drummer would join R.E.M. in 2003 as a touring member, later contributing to the band’s final three albums: 2004’s Around the Sun, 2008’s Accelerate and 2011’s Collapse Into Now.

In 2013, Fripp announced that Rieflin had joined King Crimson. The drummer appeared on the band’s live album Live in Toronto 2015. He had been absent from the group since taking an indefinite sabbatical in 2019.

An official cause of death was not provided.

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