The 27’s – Richey James Edwards 1967 - 1995

Part 30 in a series on “The 27’s” – notable musicians who have passed away in their 27^th year.

Richard James Edwards was a rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.   Edwards vanished on 1 February 1995 and was declared presumed deceased in November 2008.

Edwards was initially a driver and roadie for Manic Street Preachers, but he soon became accepted as the band's main spokesman and fourth member. Edwards showed little musical talent - his real contribution to the Manic Street Preachers was in the words and design. Despite Edwards' lack of musical input, he nevertheless contributed to their overall musical direction and according to the rest of the band he played a leading role in deciding the approach of the band's sound.

Edwards suffered severe bouts of depression in his adult life, and was open about it in interviews: "If you're hopelessly depressed like I was, then dressing up is just the ultimate escape. When I was young I just wanted to be noticed. Nothing could excite me except attention so I'd dress up as much as I could. Outrage and boredom just go hand in hand.  Gets to a point where you really can’t operate any more as a human being – you can’t get out of bed, you can’t...make yourself a cup of coffee without something going badly wrong or your body’s too weak to walk."

He also self-harmed, mainly through stubbing cigarettes on his body, and cutting himself and his problems with drugs and alcohol were well documented. After the release of the band's third album The Holy Bible, he checked into The Priory psychiatric hospital. On 15 May 1991, he gained notoriety following an argument with NME journalist Steve Lamacq, who questioned the band's authenticity and values.  Lamacq asked of Edwards' seriousness towards his art, and Edwards responded by carving the words "4 Real" into his forearm with a razor blade he was carrying.  The injury required hospitalization and eighteen stitches.

Edwards disappeared on 1 February 1995, on the day when he was scheduled to fly to the U.S. on a promotional tour.  In the two weeks before his disappearance, Edwards withdrew £200 a day from his bank account, which totaled £2800 by the day of the scheduled flight.  He checked out of his hotel at seven in the morning, and then drove to his apartment in Cardiff, Wales.  In the two weeks that followed he was spotted several times in the area.  On February 7^th a taxi driver supposedly picked up Edwards from the King's Hotel in Newport, and drove him around the valleys, including Blackwood (Edwards’ home as a child). The passenger got off at the Severn View service station near Aust and paid the £68 fare in cash.

On 14 February, Edwards' car received a parking ticket at the Severn View service station and on 17 February, the vehicle was reported as abandoned. Police discovered the battery to be dead and that the car had been lived in.  Since then he has reportedly been spotted in a hippie market in Goa, India and on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. There have been other alleged sightings of Edwards, especially in the years immediately following his disappearance.  However, none of these has proved conclusive and none has been confirmed by investigators.

While his family had the option of declaring him legally dead from 2002, they had chosen not to for many years, and his status remained open as a missing person, until November, 23 2008, when he became officially "presumed dead.”