Metal Pioneer Burke Shelley of Budgie Dies at 71

The world lost a metal pioneer today (1/10/22) as Burke Shelley the high-pitched frontman and bassist of Welsh rockers Budgie passed away at the age of 71. Many a passing metal fan has heard a Budgie song even if they don’t know it as Metallica covered “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” and “Breadfan” ) with the former on The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited LP September 1988 and the later as B-side to their singles “Harvester of Sorrow”, and “Eye of the Beholder”. Iron Maiden also covered Budgie’s “I Can’t See My Feelings.”

Budgie never broke big commercially but they influenced a majority of the heavy rock bands that followed including Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Van Halen and Queens of the Stone Age. Check out Budgie performing “Breadfan” live.

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