Mike Ratledge, founding keyboardist for influential English group Soft Machine, died on Wednesday following a brief illness. He was 81.

Prog writer Sid Smith pays tribute to the former Soft Machine founder and keyboard player Mike Ratledge, who sadly died after a short illness, aged 81 ...

Mike Ratledge, who has died aged 81, was the keyboard player whose sound was at the heart of Soft Machine, the Canterbury band who rapidly moved from quasi-psychedelia to cutting-edge jazz-rock ...

Soft Machine was formed in 1966 by Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers and Daevid Allen. Wyatt had already worked with Allen in the Daevid Allen Trio (which Ratledge occasionally jammed with) in ...

Mike Ratledge, a founding member of Soft Machine, has died. He was 81. Ratledge reportedly died following a short illness. “Incredibly sad news that my great friend and Soft Machine legend ...

The last time Soft Machine played Phoenix, it was 1968 and the U.K. rockers were touring the States as the opening act for the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Mike Ratledge, a founding member of Soft Machine, has died. He was 81. Ratledge reportedly died following a short illness. “Incredibly sad news that my great friend and Soft Machine legend ...

Soft Machine Soft Machine Co-Founder Mike Ratledge Dead at 81 He was the "backbone of the band," his former bandmate shares.

A few months after the recordings that would result in an undisputed classic of progressive rock/jazz, Third, Soft Machine had pared down from an octet to a leaner, meaner quartet. Remaining were ...

Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge of Soft Machine. John Williams/BIPs/Getty Images ...

There are the early years — Kevin Ayers on bass, Daevid Allen on guitar (both are now deceased), Mike Ratledge on keyboards and the inimitable Robert Wyatt on drums — who recorded only Volume ...

Soft Machine founding member and keyboard player Mike Ratledge died on Wednesday, February 5, after a brief illness, according to his former bandmate and guitarist John Etheridge. “Mike was the ...