The Cougars Guitarist Adrian Morgan Dead at 80: Cause of Death Confirmed

Adrian Morgan, the bass guitarist of the short-lived band The Cougars, has died. He was 80.

Somerset County Gazette and other media outlets reported Morgan's death this month, January 2024, a month after the 1960s musician passed away. A funeral notice was also posted in December, though his passing spread more recently following the news releases.

Adrian Morgan Dead at 80

According to the news outlet, Morgan died at the Yeovil District Hospital on December 7, 2023. His exact cause of death has yet to be disclosed, but it was noted that he passed away following a short illness.

Meanwhile, an obituary notice said a funeral service was held at Sedgemoor Crematorium on January 11, Thursday.

"A dearly loved husband, father, grandfather and brother who will be sadly missed by all his family and friends," the post read.

Family flowers were the only ones accepted at the funeral. In lieu of donations to the family, his loved ones asked the mourners to donate to St. Andrew's Church, Loxton, instead.

Morgan's friends, colleagues and fans left heartfelt tributes through the website as they sent donations in his name.

One said, "Such a lovely chap and a good neighbour, will miss him. Sue and Dave."

"It was always such a pleasure to hang out with Adrian. Lee and I will miss him dearly," another wrote.

About Adrian Morgan and The Cougars

Morgan joined the Bristol, England-based band in 1961 and played with his bandmates Keith Owen, Dave Tanner, and Dave Hack.

In 1963, they signed a deal with Parlophone and joined a contest by Norrie Paramor.

Among The Cougars' releases, their single "Saturday Nite at the Duck-Pond" earned the most attention after it used music from "Swan Lake" and appeared in the U.K. Singles Chart for eight weeks. BBC banned the record despite the success as it was reportedly "a travesty of a major classical work."

Before The Cougars' disbandment, the group released more records like "Sausage Roll," "While the City Sleeps" , and "Caviare and Chips."

They also dropped "Red Square" in 1963.

After his stint with The Cougars, Morgan went on to continue his musical career by managing the Riverside Showband. He also focused on his work as a consultant engineer at the EMI, where he met his then-future wife, Cynthia Ann Jones.