Richey Edwards

Richard James Edwards (22 December 1967 – disappeared 1 February 1995), also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers.

He was known for his dark, politicised and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status.

He has been cited as a leading lyricist of his generation, leading the Cool Cymru movement.

He had one younger sister, Rachel (born 1969), with whom he was close.

""It sounds like a cliché but it was a very happy family, a very happy upbringing.

I know Richard is on record as having said the same thing.

He was two years older than me and my overwhelming memory of our childhood is that he was very supportive of me.

When I was at school I used to have a lot of anxiety, particularly around schoolwork.

When I went on to comprehensive school, he'd already been there for a couple of years.

At the end of each day we'd walk our dog Snoopy, I'd talk to him about my homework and he'd help me.

He'd allay my fears, which, I suppose in retrospect, is ironic given the anxiety that he suffered years later.""

- Rachel Edwards

Edwards attended Oakdale Comprehensive School, where he met future bandmates Nicky Wire, Sean Moore and James Dean Bradfield.

From 1986 to 1989, he attended University of Wales, Swansea and graduated with a 2:1 degree in political history.

Edwards was initially a driver and roadie for Manic Street Preachers.

He was accepted as the band's main spokesman and fourth member in 1989.

Edwards showed little musical talent; his real contribution to the band was in their lyrics and design.

He frequently mimed playing the guitar during early live performances and accordingly only played on two songs during the Manic Street Preachers studio career, but was, along with bassist Nicky Wire, principal lyricist.

Edwards is said to have written approximately 80% of the lyrics on their third album, The Holy Bible.

On 15 May 1991, after a gig at the Norwich Arts Centre, NME journalist Steve Lamacq questioned how serious Edwards was about his art; Edwards responded by carving the words "4 Real" into his forearm with a razor blade.

The injury required eighteen stitches.

He also suffered from insomnia, and used alcohol to help himself sleep at night.

Before the release of The Holy Bible in 1994, he checked into Whitchurch Hospital and later the Priory hospital, missing out on some of the promotional work for the album and forcing the band to appear as a three piece at the Reading Festival and T in the Park.

Following his release from the Priory in September, Manic Street Preachers toured Europe with Suede and Therapy? for what would be the last time.

Edwards' final live appearance was at the London Astoria, on 21 December 1994.

The concert ended with the band smashing their equipment and damaging the lighting system, prompted by Edwards' violent destruction of his guitar towards the end of set closer "You Love Us".

Edwards disappeared on 1 February 1995.

On 23 January 1995, Edwards gave his last interview to Japanese music magazine Music Life.

Edwards disappeared on 1 February 1995, on the day when he and Bradfield were due to fly to the United States on a promotional tour of The Holy Bible.

In the two weeks before his disappearance, Edwards withdrew £200 a day from his bank account, which totaled £2,800 by the day of the scheduled flight (equivalent to £7,321 in March 2024 ).

Both are credited on all songs written before Edwards' disappearance, with Edwards receiving sole credit on three tracks from the 1996 album Everything Must Go, and co-writing credits on another two.

Despite Edwards' lack of musical input, he contributed to their overall musical direction, and according to the rest of the band on the Everything Must Go DVD, he played a leading role in deciding the band's sound.

Edwards expressed a desire to create a concept album described as "Pantera meets Nine Inch Nails meets Screamadelica".

Lead guitarist and vocalist James Dean Bradfield later expressed doubt over whether the band would have produced such an album: "I was worried that as chief tune-smith in the band I wasn't actually going to be able to write things that he would have liked. There would have been an impasse in the band for the first time born out of taste."

Edwards suffered from severe depression, and was open about it in interviews.

He self-harmed, mainly through stubbing cigarettes on his arms and cutting himself: "When I cut myself I feel so much better. All the little things that might have been annoying me suddenly seem so trivial because I'm concentrating on the pain. I'm not a person who can scream and shout so this is my only outlet. It's all done very logically."

On 24 November 2008, he was declared presumed dead "on or since" 1 February 1995.

The ninth Manic Street Preachers album, Journal for Plague Lovers, released on 18 May 2009, is composed entirely of songs with lyrics left by Edwards.

the remaining members of Manic Street Preachers were still paying 25% royalties into an account in his name.

Richard James Edwards was born and raised in Blackwood, Wales to Graham and Sherry Edwards.