Heath, bassist of rock band X Japan, dies of cancer. He was 55

Hiroshi Morie, well-known as Heath, is no more. Morie, the longtime bassist of the band X Japan, died on October 29 after his battle with colorectal cancer. He was 55.

Morie's death news was shared by the band. In the statement, they said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of X Japan’s esteemed bass player Heath after his battle with colorectal cancer, on October 29th, 2023, at the age of 55.”

In June, Hiroshi's cancer was diagnosed. “His cancer was found during an examination in June of this year. Despite his efforts to battle the disease, his condition declined suddenly in October, and he took his last breath in the hospital,'' the statement further read.

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“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who cherished Heath throughout his lifetime. We, the members of X Japan, have personally bid farewell to Heath but are still deeply saddened and dismayed by his sudden loss.”

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Morie was one of the crucialmembers of the famous Japanese band X Japan. The musician left the band in 1997 and joined again in 2007 until his death. In his career of decades, he has released several chart-topping albums and songs like ''Art of Life'', ''Dahlia'', ''True Lies'', and others.

After disbanding, Heath embarked on his solo career and went on to release his music. In 2000, he again collaborated with X Japan guitarist Pata, Shame and others to form Dope Headz.

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Paying tribute to the singer, lead singer Yoshiki wrote, "He was such a wonderful bass player, a band member, and a wonderful human being."

''Heath and I got closer than ever over this past year," he continued. "On my birthday last year, he appeared as a guest on my program, and we talked endlessly afterwards in my dressing room. There was also a time after that when we talked on the phone for hours until daybreak."

He concluded, “My story with Heath keeps going on and on. I wish I knew how to express the depth of my feelings here, but first I need to learn how to live with this profound loss. I will have more to say in the future. Thank you for everything, Heath. And may you rest in peace. I hope that someday we can play music together again.”