Nigel Durham, the drummer who sat behind the kit on SAXON's 1988 album Destiny, has died at the age of 61. The band shared the news on social media on Saturday, October 24. No cause of death has been made public.
SAXON described Durham as "a member of the SAXON family" and sent their love to his wife Lauretta, his daughter Gemma, his grandchildren and the rest of his family. The band's current drummer, Nigel Glockler — the man Durham briefly replaced — added his own tribute, bidding farewell to his friend and wishing strength to Lauretta and the family.
Durham's tenure in SAXON was short but left its mark on the catalog. He joined in 1987 when Glockler stepped away and played on Destiny, the band's ninth studio album, before Glockler returned the following year. The record remains one of the more polished, radio-minded entries in the band's late-'80s run, and Durham toured behind it in 1988.
After leaving SAXON, Durham stayed in the extended family, drumming for OLIVER/DAWSON SAXON, the group led by former SAXON guitarist Graham Oliver and bassist Steve Dawson. He appeared on their releases Re://Landed and It's Alive. In 2013 he became the full-time drummer of MORPHEUS RISING.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and bandmates.