Ray Lowry RIP?

According to wikipedia, Ray Lowry died today, but haven't been able to find anything about it elsewhere. Anyone know any better?

I hope he hasn't

Still nothing on this anywhere else. Hope this is just some bogus wikipedia thing.

Confirmed, I'm afraid:
http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/10/post_31.html

RIP, Ray.

Aw, shite. I was hoping it was just someone messing about on wikipedia. One of the greatest, most incisive critics to find his voice after punk, the fact that he chose to ply his trade as a cartoonist shouldn't detract from that fact. Funny, eccentric and biting, a bequiffed Hogarth for the rock and roll era. RIP.

Very funny guy. His piece on the first anniversary of Lennon's death is hilarious. Rest in peace.

NME had better have something next week!

NME treated him like shit when he turned to reviewing; it was all Penman nyah nyah You Were Given A Chance And You Wrote Four Paragraphs About Getting Out Of Bed (oh the IRONY) whereas in proto-blogosphere terms he was probably more prescient than all the rest of them. His review of the Cure's Faith, which largely talked about Hank Williams' suit with musical notes on it, was fantastic. And don't forget he was first on the case with Cyndi Lauper, when she was still singing with a band called Blue Angel.

(btw Mark did you get my email yesterday?)

(should arrive today...)

Aw shame, RIP Ray