What happened to Keith Levene? Tributes pour in as The Clash and Public Image co-founder dies at 65

English musician Keith Levene, who co-founded The Clash and Public Image Ltd., passed away at the age of 65.

News of his demise was confirmed by his former band members Martin Atkins and Jah Wobble on social media. According to The Guardian, Levene died of liver cancer on November 11, at his residence in Norfolk, England.

Atkins wrote:

"A sad time to learn of the passing of guitar giant Keith Levene. We had our ups and downs that had mellowed over time. My respect for his unique talent never will."

Keith Levene was born in London's Wood Green and had a passion for music since his childhood. He began playing guitar in his preteens and worked with several renowned bands over the years, making a name for himself.

---

Tributes pour on Twitter after Keith Levene's demise

After news of Keith Levene's death went viral over the internet, Twitterati expressed sadness and paid tribute to the legendary musician. Several users shared pictures of Levene from his younger days, with one even dubbing him "one of the greatest guitarists of the 80s."

His partner, Kate Ransford, shared a selfie with Levene alongside a heartfelt note.

---

Keith Levene began his music career as a roadie

Keith Levene was one of the most influential guitarists of the 1980s, who shaped punk and post-punk sound. He began his music career as a teenager while working as a roadie for the progressive rock band Yes.

In 1976, he joined forces with Mick Jones and formed the rock band The Clash, but left before their first album was recorded. However, he did co-write the track What’s My Name from their 1977 album.

After Sex Pistols disbanded in 1978, Levene formed Public Image Ltd. alongside the lead vocalist John Lydon, drummer Jim Walker, and bassist Jah Wobble. PiL took the music scene to another level with their fusion of reggae and dub into punk music, which was prevalent on their 1979 album, Metal Box. Levene contributed to the band's first and third albums, Public Image: First Issue and Flowers of Romance.

While talking to news outlet Furious in 2001, Levene said:

“What happened to me was once I got good enough to know the rules, I didn’t want to be like any other guitarist. I didn’t go out of my way to be different. I just had an ear for what was wrong. So if I did something that was wrong, i.e. made a mistake or did something that wasn’t in key, I was open-minded enough to listen to it again.”

Levene left the band in 1983 but contributed to the lyrics of their fourth album, This Is What You Want, This Is What You Get. Following his exit, Levene shifted to Los Angeles. He reunited with his PiL band member Wobble in 2012 to release the song, Yin & Yang.

As per The Guardian, Keith had been working with British author Adam Hammond on a book about his time with the PiL.