21 Facts About Karl Wallinger

Karl Edmond De Vere Wallinger was a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer.

Karl Wallinger was best known for leading the band World Party and for his mid-1980s membership of the Waterboys.

Karl Wallinger was a multi-instrumentalist, which enabled him to demo and record the bulk of World Party material as a one-man band.

Karl Wallinger was born on 19 October 1957, in Prestatyn, Wales, to Julian and Phyllis Karl Wallinger, and was one of six children.

Karl Wallinger played keyboards for Peter Straker and was featured on the album Changeling, on which he received a writing credit for the song "Believer".

Karl Wallinger wrote the original music for "Don't Bang the Drum".

Karl Wallinger was a great engineer, got great sounds, [and] was very patient while I would play nine different guitars.

Aware that his own musical ambitions were bringing him into conflict with Scott, Karl Wallinger opted to leave the Waterboys in late 1985 towards the end of their 'This is the Sea' tour.

Karl Wallinger was replaced as Waterboys keyboard player by Guy Chambers.

In practise Karl Wallinger wrote nearly all of the songs alone as well as playing most of the instruments on the studio albums.

Shortly before his death, Karl Wallinger had been working on a long-delayed sixth World Party album, although this has yet to be confirmed as being complete or ready for release.

Karl Wallinger was musical director on the 1994 film Reality Bites, composing an instrumental score and contributing the end title song "When You Come Back to Me" to the hit soundtrack album.

Karl Wallinger contributed a cover of David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes" to the Clueless soundtrack in 1995.

Karl Wallinger's song "She's the One" was a hit for Robbie Williams.

Karl Wallinger acted as a member of Bob Geldof's backing band.

Two tracks by Wallinger are included on the 1997 compilation album Now and in Time to Be, a musical celebration of the works of Irish poet W B Yeats.

Karl Wallinger was overflowing with wonderful musical ideas that blew us all away, all delivered with terrible jokes that had us laughing uncontrollably all day and night.

Karl Wallinger was such a gifted, natural writer and player, it was a tap that he could turn on at will, effortlessly.

Karl Wallinger was married to sculptor Suzie Zamit, who survives him.

Karl Wallinger subsequently required surgery wherein the doctors had to clip the cerebral aneurysm near the optic nerve.

Karl Wallinger died from a stroke at his home in Hastings on 10 March 2024, at the age of 66.