Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Gotthard Vocalist Steve Lee Killed In Fatal Motorcycle Accident

Vocalist Steve Lee of Swiss melodic hard rockers Gotthard was killed Tuesday evening after a fatal motorcycle accident on Interstate 15 northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 47-year-old rocker was traveling with a group of motorcyclists when a semitrailer crashed into them due to the slippery road. A representative of German music management company Bottom Row, Gotthard's label, confirmed the death of Lee.

Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Joseph Fackrell said Wednesday the crash happened about 5:15 p.m. PDT Tuesday, after Stefan Alois Lee and a group of at least eight other motorcyclists pulled to the side of Interstate 15 to put on rain clothing.

Fackrell says the semitrailer swerved before hitting a parked Harley-Davidson motorcycle that hit Lee. Drugs, alcohol and speed did not appear to be factors in the crash.

Fackrell says drugs, alcohol and speed did not appear to be factors in the crash.

Lee died at the scene, about 63 miles north of Las Vegas and 10 miles south of Mesquite. His girlfriend Brigitte Voss Balzarini, and Gotthard bassist Marc Lynn witnessed the motorcycle accident.

Gotthard is one of Switzerland's most successful bands, selling millions of albums and having played alongside Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Bon Jovi.

The singer went to the U.S. with some biker friends this weekend to fulfill a long-cherished dream for which he’d never had the time. It was to be two weeks through the states on a Harley Davidson. The 21 Swiss bikers started their journey on Sunday on a total of 12 motorcycles.

Gotthard is one of the most successful rock bands in Switzerland. It was formed in Lugano by Lee and Leo Leoni in 1992. They have released eleven albums, selling millions of copies worldwide.

Gotthard's latest recording, 'Need to Believe', was released on September 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records in the U.S.. They recently toured with Whitesnake and performed at Arrow Rock Festival in the Netherlands.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

another shining star has left the stage and Gotthard, a band that never got the recognition in the US that they should have had has lost their heart. I loved Gotthard the first time I heard them many years ago at The Foundation Forum in Los Angeles. They never strayed from their roots and Steve's vocals along with Leo's playing was always magical to me. Their songs timeless. He was an awesome person. Another sad day in music. Babs, NYC

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