An almost mystical figure who was a genre in himself. Spiritual, gentle, a poet of obscure truths and universal emotions.
If you ever come across the documentary of his appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight music festival, released in 2010, it shows his remarkable intervention with the crowd of 600,000, some of whom who were verging on violence. By his gentle voice and manner he calmed the festival-goers and created a sense of community that allowed the event to continue. Very impressive.
Once when he was accepting a Canadian Music award he quipped, "Only in this country could someone like me be named Male Vocalist of the Year."
His last album,
You Want It Darker, was released two weeks ago - a poignant farewell.
Lesley