Missing pop star remembered on anniversary
The family of Manic Street Preacher Richey Edwards were marking the seventh anniversary of his disappearance today as they have marked every day since he vanished - by refusing to give up hope that he is still alive.
The guitarist and songwriter with the Welsh band was 27 when he went missing on February 1, 1995.
By law, after seven years relatives are allowed to have a missing person declared dead, but Edwards’ parents Sherry and Graham do not want to do that.
Nor do they wish to take up their entitlement to apply for his estate now that seven years have elapsed. In Edwards’ case that estate would run into millions from the royalties of the best-selling album Everything Must Go.
He wrote a lot of material on the album even though it was recorded after his disappearance.
A statement from the band’s management company, Hall or Nothing, said: ‘‘For the family of Richey Edwards and the members of the Manic Street Preachers nothing has changed. Richey is still missing and we still miss him very much.’’
The spokeswoman added that the family did not want to declare him dead because they did not want to give up hope.
Edwards disappeared on the day the band was due to start a tour of America.
After leaving his London hotel, he travelled to his flat in Cardiff Bay where he left his passport and credit cards.
His car was found abandoned near the Severn Bridge two weeks later.
The remaining band members - Nicky Wire, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore - carried on with the band and have continued to pay his share of the royalties into a fund set up for their bandmate.
Since his disappearance there have been unconfirmed sightings around the world of Edwards, who is from Blackwood, Gwent.
In 1998 his parents travelled to the Canary Island of Tenerife to investigate a report by a bar worker that he had seen him there.
Before his disappearance Edwards had a colourful reputation after cutting the words ‘‘4 Real’’ into his arm during an interview with Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq.
He was also treated for depression and anorexia.
