Page 9 - BiTS_10_OCTOBER_2023

Bernard (Bernie) John Marsden,

7 May 1951; died 24 August 2023

Best known for his inspirational guitar work with
Whitesnake, Bernie was admired by a massive group of
artists many of whom, following his death, put

pen to paper to praise him for his musicianship
and personality.

The only child of Joe and Kathy Marsden, he was
born on the Westfields estate in Buckingham.
When he was four, the family moved to a new

council house in Overn Avenue. He
failed his 11-plus and attended a local
secondary modern school.

He persuaded his parents to buy him
a second-hand Spanish guitar, then

traded up to an electric model after
saving money from a paper-round.
After playing with several local
groups he formed Skinny Cat when

he was 17.

Later he was recruited to White-

snake, an offshoot of Deep Purple.
The group was assembled by the
former Deep Purple vocalist David

Coverdale in 1978. The band was
originally called David Coverdale’s
Whitesnake.

Marsden was a dedicated collector of
guitars, and especially cherished his
1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard Burst,

nicknamed “the Beast” and valued at
over £1m. He published three

editions of Tales of Tone and Volume,
books of high-quality photographs of
his instruments alongside his own
descriptions and anecdotes.

He is survived by his wife, Fran (nee Plummer), whom he married in 1980, and their
daughters, Charlotte and Olivia.

Ian K McKenzie