Karl Wallinger, who led World Party since the mid-’80s and was a member of The Waterboys before that, died on Sunday (3/10) at age 66. No other details have been shared, and the official statement notes, “Karl leaves behind a loving family including wife Suzie Zamit, son Louis Wallinger, daughter Nancy Zamit and two grandchildren.”
Born October 19, 1956 in Prestatyn, Wales, Wallinger was music obsessed from an early age and began playing in bands in the mid-’70s. He was recruited by Mike Scott to join The Waterboys in 1983 and contributed to both 1984’s A Pagan Place and 1985’s This Is the Sea.
Wallinger left the group not long after and formed World Party, releasing their debut album, Private Revolution, in 1986. The band had their biggest success with 1990’s Goodbye Jumbo, which featured the singles “Way Down Now” and “Put the Message in the Box.” World Party’s run ended when Wallinger was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in 2001; surgery was successful but recovery was long. He returned to playing shows in 2006. Though they never made an album after 2000’s Dumbing Up, World Party did tour again, including North America in 2015.
Wallinger also worked on Sinéad O’Connor’s debut album, The Lion & The Cobra, and she returned the favor by singing on World Party’s first two albums.
Rest in peace, Karl.
