Keith Flint, frontman of the British electronic group the Prodigy, died this weekend at his home in Essex, England. He was 49.
“It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother and best friend Keith Flint,” the band said in a statement. “A true pioneer, innovator and legend. He will be forever missed. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.”
An official cause of death was not confirmed as of Monday morning, but the Prodigy founder Liam Howlett wrote on Instagram that Flint died by suicide. “The news is true, I can’t believe I’m saying this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend. I’m shell shocked, fuckin angry, confused and heart broken ….. r.i.p brother.”
An Essex police spokesperson confirmed Flint’s death to the Guardian, “We attended and, sadly, a 49-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
Originally recruited to serve as the dancer by the Prodigy, Flint eventually became the voice and face of the group, whose hits “Breathe,” “Firestarter” and controversial “Smack My Bitch Up” became hits on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1997, Flint appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.
The Chemical Brothers tweeted, “so sad to hear about Keith Flint, we played many gigs with the prodigy over the years and they were always friendly and supportive.he was an amazing front man, a true original and he will be missed.”
This story is developing