Lou Reed keyboardist Michael Fonfara dies, aged 74

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Canadian ace also played with Foreigner and Downchild

Canadian keyboard player Michael Fonfara has died at the age of 74, following a two-year battle with cancer.

If you met him, you loved him

Downchild bassist Gary Kendall

A mainstay in Lour Reed's backing band throughout the '70s, Fonfara also featured on Foreigner album 4, including hit track Urgent. But his most significant body of work was arguably his 30-year contribution to Canadian blues band Downchild.

“He’s the best musician I’ve ever worked with,” Downchild co-founder Donnie Walsh said in a statement. 

Downchild bassist Gary Kendall said, “Yesterday we lost a brother, a band mate, a co-writer and a dear friend. If you met him, you loved him. A creative genius.”

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