Les Emmerson, a Five Man Electrical Band member, has died at a hospital in Ottawa last week. He was 77.
Emmerson's death was first confirmed by his wife, Monik Emmerson, to CBC. She revealed that Les Emmerson's cause of death was due to COVID-19 despite the fact that they had been double-vaccinated.
The guitarist, unfortunately, suffered due to underlying health issues, which was worsened by the dreaded virus he contracted last month.
"Music was his life up until the very end," she went on. "He lived and breathed music."
Meanwhile, his daughter Kristina Emmerson-Barrett shared a statement through CTV News and honored his late talented father following his death.
"I want people to know that he meant something different to everybody. He was a musician first and he loved his music, he loved his craft. He was an artist at heart, but he was so much more than that," she said.
More fans and colleagues paid tribute to the guitarist, taking their heartbreak on Twitter.
Ottawa City Councilor Catherine McKenney wrote, "Sorry to hear of the loss of Ottawa singer Les Emmerson, known for Five Man Electrical Band and the song "Signs." Les, you made Ottawa proud."
"Les Emmerson of Five Man Electrical Band has died from COVID. Come on people, get the freaking shot!!!" another exclaimed.
Les Emmerson's Legacy Through The Years
Emmerson famously graced the Five Man Electrical Band in the 1960s as one of its members. Immediately after their debut, they bagged several Top 40 hits in Canada.
Among their most notable pieces was "Signs," which they recorded when the hippie movement was underway in 1970. The song immediately became an international summertime hit after the band released a shorter version.
Eventually, "Signs" made it to the Billboard singles chart and secured the 3rd spot after selling more than 1.5 million copies.
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"Suddenly it broke in Seattle and that area and it just kept spreading," the band's keyboardist Ted Gerow recalled.
Emmerson made the hit song as he drove down Route 66 in California and felt disappointed by the billboards obstructing his views. Despite facing criticisms, the song became part of several projects in the past years. For instance, "Signs4Change" was made to support Friends of the Earth Canada that raised awareness about climate change.
Some of their pop-rock hits include "Small Town Girl," "Half Past Midnight," "Absolutely Right," "Werewolf," and "Money Back Guarantee," among others.
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