Cat Stevens/Fairport Convention Drummer Dead at 76 After Battle With ALS

Cat Stevens and Fairport Convention's drummer Gerry Conway has died following his private battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

In a Facebook post, Fairport Convention singer and co-founder Simon Nicol confirmed the news about Conway's passing. He disclosed that the musician privately battled the disease that ultimately led to his death on Friday, March 29, at the age of 76.

Gerry Conway Dead at 76

Nicol expressed his heartbreak as he penned his tribute message alongside a photo of Conway. He called the drummer his "dearest drumming pal" who worked with him in 1968 before touring with him in Al Stewart's band.

He noted that Conway stepped away from the Fairport Convention following the Cropredy Festival in 2022 before retiring from touring due to a health-related issue — ALS.

"Wonderfully patient and wise, infuriatingly tardy (!) but always ready and eager to play, and blessed with his own inner calm and solidity, I'm going to miss him more than I can say," Nicol wrote.

He added, "Here's one of my very favourite tracks of the countless number he played on - with Rosko Gee, Stevie Winwood, Jean Roussel and Chris Spedding, all backing another superb drummer chasing the spotlight with a mic - Jim Capaldi."

Meanwhile, fans and other artists took to different social media pages to share their heartbreak after the loss.

Details about his funeral and memorial have not been confirmed.

Gerry Conway's Legacy Explored

Conway started his career with Eclection when he worked with the British folk band's self-titled album in 1968. He went on to play on Steeleye Span's Hark! The Village Wait and Stewart's Zero She Files before joining Cat Stevens' band.

As a recording and touring member of Cat Stevens, the drummer played with the band in a long list of shows and worked on seven albums, from Teaser and the Firecat in 1971 to Back to Earth in 1978.

His marked his last work in the industry with Fairport Convention, touring with the band and appearing on its nine albums through Shuffle and Go in 2020.