Classic Rock is reporting that former Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley passed away on November 4th. The sad news was delivered today (November 5th) by his brother, Trevor, in a post on Facebook.

"I am writing this with a heavy heart to let you know that my brother Ken Hensley passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening. His beautiful wife Monica was at his side and comforted Ken in his last few minutes with us.

We are all devastated by this tragic and incredibly unexpected loss and ask that you please give us some space and time to come to terms with it. Ken will be cremated in a private ceremony in Spain so please don’t ask for information about a funeral.

Ken has gone but he will never be forgotten and will always be in our hearts.

Stay safe out there."

Born Kenneth William David Hensley on August 24th, 1945, Hensley first attracted the national spotlight as a member of The Gods, who featured future Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, and recorded two albums, 1968’s Genesis and 1969’s To Samuel A Son, for Columbia Records. The group also released the album Orgasm under the pseudonym Head Machine. 

Hensley joined guitarist Mick Box and vocalist David Byron in the band Spice in February 1970. Shortly afterwards, they changed the group’s name to Uriah Heep.

“We'd actually recorded half the first album  (…Very ‘Eavy… Very ‘Umble from 1970) when we decided that keyboards would be good for our sound,” Mick Box recalled. “I was a big Vanilla Fudge fan, with their Hammond organ and searing guitar on top, and we had David's high vibrato vocals anyway, so that's how we decided to shape it.”

“I saw a lot of potential in the group to do something very different,” remembered Hensley

Hensley wrote or co-wrote the majority of Uriah Heep's songs until his departure from the band in 1980, including the hit singles 'Easy Livin'', 'Stealin'', 'Lady In Black' and 'Free Me'.

Hensley was with Uriah Heep from 1969 – 1980. He also had an extensive solo career, releasing 19 albums including several compilations and live records.