The Residents leader Hardy Fox dead at 73

Hardy Fox, one of the co-founders of rock group The Residents, has died, aged 73.
His bandmates have confirmed the sad news in a post from their anonymous Cryptic Corporation blog, revealing the musician had battled a series of health issues in recent years.
“It is with great sorrow and regret that The Cryptic Corporation announces the passing of longtime associate, Hardy Fox,” the statement reads.
“As president of the corporation from 1982-2016, the company benefited from Hardy’s instinct for leadership and direction, but his true value came from his longtime association with The Residents. As the group’s producer, engineer, as well as collaborator on much of their material, Fox’s influence on The Residents was indelible.
“Despite any formal training, his musicality was nevertheless unique, highly refined and prolific. Blessed with a vital sense of aesthetics, a keen ear, and an exquisite love of the absurd, Hardy’s smiling face was a constant source of joy to those around him. He will be missed.”
Fox co-founded the San Francisco-based group, which was best known for keeping the identities of its members a secret, in 1968.
He retired as the group’s leading composer in 2015.
He also recorded as a solo artist under stage names like Charles Bobuck and TAR.
His quirky sense of humour came to the fore in September (18), when he announced his own death on Facebook.
“Our hearts are heavy but let us celebrate our brother, our friend, Hardy Fox,” he wrote beneath a photo of himself.
“Yes got sick, making my pass out of this world, but it is ‘all’ okay. I have something in my brain that will last to a brief end. I am 73 as you might know. Brains go down. But maybe here is my brain functioning as I’m almost a dead person just a bit of go yet. Doctors have put me on drugs, LOL, for right now. Anyway. Probably the last of seeing me. Thanks for checking in.”