Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers dies at 76

Musician Scott Walker, who rose to fame as part of the Walker Brothers, has died at the age of 76, his record label 4AD confirmed on Monday.

Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio in 1943, Walker changed his name after moving to London and joining the Walker Brothers. The band had several hits in the early ’60s, with songs like “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” and “Make It Easy on Yourself” putting them on similar footing with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones for a time. In the late ’60s, Walker struck out on his own and released a string of critically-acclaimed solo albums: Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3, and Scott 4.

Then Walker disappeared from the spotlight, re-emerging in 1978 to join the Walker Brothers for their last album Niteflights. Since then he’s done a mix of solo albums and film scores. Most recently, he composed the score to the 2018 Natalie Portman film Vox Lux.

4AD, which worked with Walker for the final years of his career, were not shy about praising him in its tribute: “Scott Walker has been a unique and challenging titan at the forefront of British music: audacious and questioning, he has produced works that dare to explore human vulnerability and the godless darkness encircling it.”

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke also had praise for Walker, describing him as “a huge influence on Radiohead and myself.”

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