The singer, songwriter and musician Richard Parfitt, OBE has died from a severe infection aged 68, after going into hospital after complications from a shoulder injury. Parfitt was the guitarist for British rock band Status Quo. Next year the band would be celebrating 50 years together. In that time, they had 19 top 10 UK albums, including 4 number 1s and 23 top 10 singles. Their sound changed quite a bit since first hit Pictures of Matchstick Men, moving more towards classic rock. The band were well-known for Parfitt's simple R&B patterns, who showed us that you can write many songs with only 3 chords... in fact, one of their most famous has only 2 chords in the verse! The band also entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1991 playing 4 British shows in 11 hours and 11 minutes, a feat that saw lead singer Francis Rossi lose his voice. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38427459 RIP Rick. Thanks for all the great music and inspiring many people to pick up a guitar.
