X Japan Bassist Hiroshi “Heath” Morie Has Died

It seems like we’re not running out of sad news lately, but yet another bummer of a story recently broke, as X Japan‘s bassist Hiroshi “Heath” More has tragically died of cancer at the age of 55. Apparently, his cancer was far advanced when doctors discovered he had it.

The bassist played on X Japan albums Art of Life (1993) and Dahlia (1996). He also played alongside the band in 2007 when they reunited, along with drummer/pianist Yoshiki, singer Toshi, and guitarist Pata.

Earlier this month, X Japan drummer and pianist Yoshiki shared a message on Facebook saying he needed to miss the 37th Award of Honor Gala in San Francisco, stating, “Someone close to me passed away” and that he had “made the decision to return to Japan.” You can view the post below.

While it is not clear if Morie’s death is the death he was referring to, it can be inferred that it was. The award Yoshiki was set to receive was from the Japan Society of Southern California in recognition of his achievements in helping to spread Japanese culture worldwide.

Our hearts go out to X Japan and their friends, family, and fans.