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Thank you Claude

A message has appeared on the Montreux Jazz Festival site confirming that Claude Nobs has succumbed to his injuries sustained in a skiing accident recently.

“On January 10th you left us!
Only a few days after your accident in Caux-sur-Montreux, in your beloved mountains, overlooking the lake that you were so fond of.”

Read the full message.

TheHighwayStar offers its condolences to Claude’s family and friends.



47 Comments to “Thank you Claude”:

  1. 1
    jeremy says:

    Sad news rip funky claude

  2. 2
    Robert Prior says:

    Rest in peace, Funky Claude. Thank you for pulling kids out the ground and finding a new recording site for the magnificent Machine Head album. Thank you for the incredible support you gave our favourite band over forty years. Thank you for the wonderful Montreux Jazz Festival that hosted so many luminary acts, jazz and beyond. Such a passionate music aficionado with a huge heart. Deepest condolences to Claude’s family and friends.

  3. 3
    James Gemmell says:

    A great loss, but great memories. Claude must be upstairs with Jon Lord.

  4. 4
    marcinzzz says:

    A sad beginning of what was to be the Purple year… Thank you, Claude, for all your enthousiasm throughout all these years, for bringing the good music closer to us, for the unforgettable concerts, for making us aware of this beautiful place on earth that Montreux is. Emptiness, eagles and snow… See you on the other side!

  5. 5
    Randy says:

    Yes, it’s true. Claude Nobs died today. First Jon, now Claude. When a blind man cries, Lord, there ain’t no sadder tale.

  6. 6
    Micalonues says:

    Bon voyage Claude. We’ll miss you.

  7. 7
    daviep79 says:

    Rest in peace Funky Claude! Thoughts & prayers to his family & friends!

  8. 8
    Tommy H. says:

    That message is a hit in the nuts. The Montreux festival is the mecca for real musicians in Europe – not to mention Purple. It’s as well one of the most important sources for live recordings I really appreciate. Thank you indeed, dear Claude that you kept it going for all those decades!

    My condolences go out to his family and friends!

  9. 9
    Dan Russell says:

    Onward and upward, Funky Claude. Thanks for your support of the greatest band ever, and for the inimitable Montreux Jazz Festival. May we all have such vitality.

  10. 10
    Rommel says:

    So sad to hear and read about this loss. Now “Funky Claude will be running in and out pulling angels out the ground” Rest In Peace, Mr. Nobs.

  11. 11
    Danny says:

    RIP Funky Claude

  12. 12
    HardRockPete says:

    ;-( Rest in peace, beauty and music, dear Funky Claude!

  13. 13
    DeepOz says:

    Very sad news.

  14. 14
    jim murphy says:

    RIP Funky Claude

  15. 15
    undertallen says:

    Unfortunately, there is no maybe about it. Here is an article in lematin.ch for those who read french:

    http://www.lematin.ch/loisirs/claude-nobs-decede/story/14848295

  16. 16
    MacGregor says:

    RIP to the Montreux Jazz man, Claude Nobs.

  17. 17
    nupsi59 says:

    The new year is beginning with sad news.

  18. 18
    LRT says:

    RIP -tragic loss!

  19. 19
    micke says:

    Smoke on the water. RIP.

  20. 20
    Claudio says:

    Horrible new. Thanks Claude, we’ll remeber you as part of the Purple family, and of course, pulling kids out the ground.

  21. 21
    Xavier says:

    this is most unexpected and my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Claude Nobs. i am still grieving the loss of Jon Lord and see all of this as a reminder to cherish each day and the gifts God has given us in our loved ones. i will always remember Claude as one who went beyond the smoke and fire “to pull kids out of ground.” Rest in peace.

  22. 22
    purplepriest1965 says:

    All the older pearls are falling down to the ground : (

  23. 23
    Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder says:

    A huge piece of the Purple Puzzle is gone. Ironic really. He is connected to Purple through that now sacred event in 1971 that ‘burned the place to the ground’ later to be the origin of the most well known guitar riff on the planet. ‘Fire’. His demise? A snow skiing incident. ‘Ice’. Purple should add a song to their new album in tribute of this iconic figure whom they have a long and deep relationship with over the last 40 years. “Fire and Ice”.

    RIP Mr. Nobs

    CheerZ

  24. 24
    Karl-Heinz says:

    This is a very tragic news. “Funky Claude” was a key figure in the history of DP and a prime organizer and fine man.

    He’ll have a great jam with Jon Lord and other Montreux-heroes, who are in music-heaven now….

    Thank you for the music.

    Karl-Heinz

  25. 25
    David Guedes says:

    Angels in the sky!! Rest in peace!! brazilian fan.

  26. 26
    Craig Neely says:

    Oh No!!! Thankfully, his legacy will live forever in the likes of the Festival, and his name, forever in a song. Saw him at the Festival when Purple closed it a few years back. Appeared to be a very nice, congenial, and wonderful man. His loss will surely be felt by many. Rest his soul, and may his eternity be even more fulfilling than his life must have been.

  27. 27
    Francesco says:

    Abbiamo perso un grande della musica uno che amava la musica e che l’ha diffusa e fatta conoscere in tutto il mondo e non da ultimo a contributu al grande successo dei Deep Purple a partire dal lontano 1971. Grazie Funky Claude ci mancherai.

  28. 28
    Wiktor says:

    Your name will never be forgotten, “Smoke on the water” will see to that, people around the world will always hear about “Funky Claude” giving a helping hand to get the “kids” out of the burning Casino and helping Deep Purple find a new place to record the greatest Rock album in the world, “Machine Head.” RIP!

  29. 29
    Deep Purple Tour Page says:

    bad news … RIP Claude

  30. 30
    Drdp says:

    Just as I feared a TBI took Claude as it did a dear friend of mine.
    Rest in Peace Funky Claude, you are Immortalized in Song Forever.

  31. 31
    cyclone says:

    The Purp’s family taking another hit. So sad they get their air and written time when all is too late. Appreciate these cats while they are still with us….I demand all radio stations do a 24 loop of SOTW!

  32. 32
    David McCrory says:

    Sad news, The immortalised Claude was a big part of the Deep Purple story. May he rest in peace, we owe him much

  33. 33
    Errol Arias says:

    Good Bye Funky Claude ! RIP .. “Not dead but gone before”

  34. 34
    Denis / Switzerland says:

    Thanks for all and Rest in Peace “Funky Claude”
    Condolences to Claude Nobs family and friends.

    Swiss TV SRF 1 Sunday January 13th, 23:00
    “Let The Good Times Roll”

    40 Jahre Jazzfestival Montreux

  35. 35
    wally roundhead says:

    Hats off for a life achievement in making music accessable for not only Swiss people but for legions of music fans.
    You went too quickly. A huge impact on culure. The image from the Machine Head LP album gatefold and the amazing true, narrative story behind the song and the song itself. Claude Nobs is there. But the amzing part of it all, such hard work of long time, contiuosly could never be valued. We need such keepers and concert promotors who have the genuin interest, the needed force and genlte ways. Sad news. RIP

  36. 36
    Les Hedger says:

    RIP Funky Claude. You’ll be greatly missed!!

  37. 37
    Rost says:

    “Funky Claude was running in and….” will remain forever. RIP and THANK YOU!!!

  38. 38
    Jack says:

    “Funky Claude was running in and out…” Rock in Peace dear Claude!!!

  39. 39
    Bo says:

    A very important person of the Deep Purple history has left us.
    I’m sure he is having a glass of wine with Jon now. And playing great music.
    RIP.

  40. 40
    MacGregor says:

    Excellent tribute from Ian Anderson to Claude Nobs, at the Jethro Tull website!

  41. 41
    Margaret and Peter Howdon-Brown says:

    We had the great fortune to meet Funky Claude in Montreux, he was a most gracious gentle man who was well loved. R.I.P

  42. 42
    Adam says:

    What a loss…! As well as being forever a part of Deep Purple’s history, he gave the rock and jazz worlds on of the (if not THE) very premier music festivals, with the finest acts in the world lining up. His interest always seemed to be primarily to make for the most spectacular show rather than the most spectacular bank statement. RIP Claude Nobs!

    P.S. the up and coming new Purple album should now have some sort of homage to him, in song or album title or sleeve detail or whatever, shouldn’t it?

  43. 43
    Adam says:

    Plus, the Montreux festival should now be renamed Claude Nobs festival!

  44. 44
    gustavo says:

    desde Argentina expreso mis sentimentos de tristeza por la perdida del Purple Suizo

  45. 45
    nzbiker says:

    sad news R.I.P

  46. 46
    Juraj says:

    Don’t take my words as any kind of sarkazm,but Funky Cloud has proabably great life and he left us great way too.The way how he lef this world can be a “any skier dream”when we think he would be 77 years old in February.
    Go ski,watch the magic surrounding of the place you love and never come back.Looks like the way which goes directly to paradise for me.Anyway Funky Cloud became to be a holy man thanks to notorious famous story about puting kids out of the ground from burning place,made him hero long ago already.He deserve nice decease too.
    R.I.P.Mr.Funky Cloud.

  47. 47
    Maz says:

    Stumbled across this site completely on accident. didn’t who claude was before this, but glad i did read the whole thing, RIP Mr funky cloud!

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