RICHEY EDWARDSRichey Edwards, who went missing on 1 February, 1995, was one of the most enigmatic figures in rock music.His lifelong struggle with depression was documented in the early albums of the Manic Street Preachers, and though the guitarist had minimal musical ability, his lyrics and artistic vision were the central element of the group and continued to inspire them for years to come.The mystery of his disappearance, one of the most discussed in music history, was laid to rest on 23 November, 2008, nearly 14 years after he originally went missing, when he was declared presumed dead.Richard James Edwards was born on 22 December, 1967, and like his fellow Manics grew up in the town of Blackwood in South Wales. He studied politics at Swansea University before returning to Blackwood where he joined the group founded by cousins James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore and friend Nicky Wire.Manic Street Preachers were, as their names implies, about the impact of their messages as much as their music. Inspired by The Clash they wore clothes spray-painted with inflammatory slogans at early gigs and were known for destroying instruments on stage, a self-proclaimed “culture of destruction”. Edwards and Wire’s penchant for dressing in women’s clothing was also a subject of much interest.Richey’s role in the band’s musicianship was nominal. He had no role in composing and often played shows with his guitar almost silent. But as co-lyricist with Wire and the band’s main spokesperson, he was invariably the main focus of any coverage they received.Infamously the NME photographed him after he cut the words “4 REAL” into his arm in response to a journalist’s doubts about the Manics’ integrity, evidence of a lifetime of depression and self injury. In later years he would also go into rehab for alcoholism.But for many Manics fans, Richey’s personal turmoil only heightened his stature as an icon of angst. The heartfelt expression of his troubles collided head-on with political diatribes on the band’s first three albums, the sprawling punk of Generation Terrorists (1992), the stadium rock pomp of Gold Against the Soul (1993) and the gloomy power of The Holy Bible (1994), a record often cited as an all-time classic.After he vanished on the eve of an American tour to promote The Holy Bible, a large-scale search was launched to no avail. His car was found near Severn Bridge and it was widely assumed he had taken his own life. Nevertheless, his family and the other Manics refused to accept that he was dead and continued to pay royalties into his bank account.Manic Street Preachers enjoyed huge success in the years immediately following Richey’s disappearance – the Brit Award-winning album Everything Must Go (1996) contained three of his songs and Nicky Wire as sole lyricist has expressed in his feelings about Richey in many subsequent songs.But it was Richey Edwards’ own words, dark and troubling as they could be, for which he will be remembered by fans. When he was finally declared dead by the courts at the request of his parents, the band were working on a new album featuring lyrics written by Richey called Journal for Plague Lovers.
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