Gorki singer Luc De Vos dies at 52

Luc De Vos, lead singer of the Flemish band Gorki, died at the weekend at the age of 52. According to an autopsy ordered by the Ghent prosecutor’s office, the cause of death was acute multiple organ failure. Both foul play and suicide have been ruled out, and no further details have been released.

De Vos (pictured) was found on Saturday in an apartment in Ghent he used as a work space, close to where he lived. He was married and had a 14-year-old son. A register of condolences has been opened on the Gorki website.

As well as the 11 albums he made with Gorki, De Vos was the author of three autobiographies, a novel and columns for the Ghent magazine 09. He wrote songs for a stage show and made appearances on TV. His last was a second run of four episodes in the popular quiz show De slimste mens ter wereld just last month.

The culture sector, music journalists and minions of fans reacted with shock as the news broke on Saturday night. Bart Peeters, a long-time friend, opened his concert in Leuven with a rendition of “Mia”, Gorki’s most famous number. Flemish culture minister Sven Gatz said that De Vos was “one of the greatest Flemish rock icons” who “left his indelible mark on the Dutch-language music scene of the 1990s. He could play with words like no other. As a rock musician, but also as columnist and writer, he put unforgettable words to paper.”

The city he loved also paid tribute. Hundreds of people gathered at noon on Sunday at the foot of Ghent’s Belfort to hear the city carillon play “Mia” in his memory.

Photo courtesy VRT