NEWS

Tributes paid to Delays’ Greg Gilbert, who has died following cancer battle

Greg Gilbert, singer and guitarist for Southampton band Delays, has died.

His death was confirmed by bandmate and brother Aaron Gilbert, who took to Twitter this evening (September 30) to share the tragic news.

“I have no idea how to do this right now, but this afternoon at 2:22; we walked my brother back home to somewhere out there in the ether,” Aaron wrote.

“Greg died surrounded in the endless love that us and all of you have given him on this journey, and we Weill never be able to fully express how much it meant to him (and all of us) to have you by our side lifting us up like a winged army.

He added: “Your messages, your encouragement and your compassion have been our oxygen for the last 5 years.” See Aaron’s full statement below.

The singer and guitarist was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2016, with the cancer also found to have spread to his lungs at that time.

Sharing an update on his health via Twitter last month, Gilbert said he had been taken off treatment and was being treated for pain relief at Countess Mountbatten Hospice.

“The pains are mostly under control and the nurses here are nothing less than angels,” he wrote. “But I’m now in an uncertain future where I don’t know how long I have and what the days will look like.”

Fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to Greg, sharing messages, memories and their condolences.

“One of the most profound artists whose work I’ve known has died. I implore you to seek out Greg Gilbert’s art, read his poetry, and listen to his brilliant music as a member of Delays,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

Another said: “Awful news about Greg Gilbert. The myriad burst of melody and sunshine his music gave is indicative of his gift. Love and respect to @AaronDelays and @Delays_ sincere appreciation for every burst of music. Your tunes find multiple places in some of my best memories.”

One Twitter user recalled meeting their now husband at a Delays gig, writing: “Absolutely gutted about Greg Gilbert. Delays were such a big part of my life for several years and I’ll always remember my now-husband tapping me on the shoulder to say hello in person for the first time after one of their gigs at Leeds Cockpit in 2006. RIP Greg.”

You can see more tributes to Greg below:

You can donate to Countess Mountbatten Hospice, which provides care for people with “life-limiting” illnesses and their families in Southampton and west Hampshire, here.

In 2019, Gilbert’s poems about living with cancer were published as part of the Laureate’s Choice series. The musician’s work was selected by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy for publication.

Delays formed in Southampton in 2001 and were signed to Rough Trade between 2003 and 2006. They have released four albums, including their debut ‘Faded Seaside Glamour’, which entered the Top 20 in the Official UK Albums Chart.

This is a developing story…