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Simon Le Bon has paid tribute to Duran Duran’s late tour manager Ken Watts.
The beloved tour director, who has also worked with George Michael, Natalie Imbruglia, Jamiroquai and more, passed away suddenly over the weekend. A cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
In a series of posts on his Twitter page, Simon honoured Watts, admitting he’s still “in shock at the sad news of his passing”.
“Our wonderful, dependable friend & tour manager, Ken Watts died unexpectedly last weekend,” began the Hungry Like the Wolf star.
Our wonderful, dependable friend & tour manager, Ken Watts died unexpectedly last weekend. We are all in shock at the sad news of his passing.
— Simon Le Bon (@SimonJCLeBON) April 15, 2021
“In his calm, determined, good natured way, Ken directed some of our most successful, & memorable tours.
“He took the strain & made the job feel easy for us. Our thoughts & sympathy are with his family. I will miss him very much,” added Simon. “I know that we all will.”
Watts’ family has requested that those who would like to pay tribute to Ken do so by making a small donation to Stagehand’s Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund.
Duran Duran are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and recently launched shows on both Pandora and SiriusXM.
The group is expected to return in 2021 with their 15th studio album – the group’s first since 2015’s Paper Gods – along with a number of planned live shows across the UK and Europe over the Summer.
