Bernard Edwards’ Last Concert and Death
Bernard Edwards
Bernard Edwards was rose to fame as the bassist of Chic, along with partner Nile Rodgers. Edwards had an uncanny ability to create bass lines that could elevate songs to new heights. Some of Edwards’ best known bass lines include Good Times, and I Want Your Love.
Bernard Edwards’ life was cut short at the age of 43 back in 1996, only hours after playing a concert with Chic in Tokyo, Japan.
Last Concert
After being named JT Superproducer of the Year, Nile Rodgers and Chic were invited to play the iconic Budokan arena in Tokyo. There were three sellout shows. On the final night of their engagement, Bernard Edwards began experiencing a high fever only hours before they were set to hit the stage, and doctors suggested that the show be canceled. Nile Rodgers also told Edwards they could cancel, but Edward wanted to play.
In 2001, Rodgers reflected back on that fateful night in an interview with Creative Loafing. Rodgers said that he also told Edwards that the show could be canceled, but Edwards said, “Absolutely not.”
Toward the end of the last concert – and only hours before Edwards’ death – Chic played a 14-minute version of Chic Cheer, in which all of the members of the band were introduced. Rodgers introduced Edwards, who stated, “I’m a little sick tonight. I got the Tokyo flu, but we’re still here.” He then talked about his long partnership with Rodgers.
It has been rumored that Edwards briefly blacked out or passed out earlier in the show, but it wasn’t until this point in the concert that Rodgers knew something was amiss. “I knew something was wrong when we got to ‘Chic Cheer’ and his solo wasn’t slammin’. And when it was time for him to introduce himself, he just talked about me and how much he loved [playing with] me.”
Hours later, Rodgers found himself falling out of bed at 1:33am. “All of a sudden, I was on the floor and I felt really lonely. I was awakened by a dream that I was alone on the earth and all my friends and family were flying through me to heaven.”
The next morning, Rodgers attempted to get into Edwards’ room, but received no answer. After housekeeping opened the door, Nile discovered Bernard’s body, and immediately knew that he was gone. “I could tell he was dead by the way his feet looked. I touched his cheek and it was the same temperature as the coffee table, and I just broke down.”
In 2009, he told a longer version of the story to the Independent:
“I opened the door and he was lying on the couch. I walked in and saw his feet and I could see where the blood had pooled [downwards into] his heels. I knew in a nanosecond what had happened. My brain knew. But I wouldn’t accept it. So I started screaming at him. ‘Man, come on, wake up, we gotta go play’ – louder and louder, maybe thinking that the volume would make him go, ‘All right, motherf–ker! All right, I hear you! Gimme a break!’
But that didn’t happen. And it’s strange what you will do to avoid reality for a while. I did everything I could to avoid touching his skin, so I shook his sleeve, and when I did, his whole body moved. Normally if you shake someone’s arm, only the arm moves, but his whole body moved. Rigor mortis. That freaked me out. So finally I put two fingers on the skin of his face and it felt the same as the table. And I lost it completely.”
The medical examiner estimated the time of death at 1am, and Rodgers told him it was 1:33am – the moment he woke up. “…without asking, he wrote down ‘1:33,'” Rodgers said.
Rodgers initially said he couldn’t imagine Chic continuing without Edwards, but eventually took the band back out on the road. Chic returned to Japan a year after Edwards’ death to celebrate Bernard’s life. Chic and Rodgers continue to tour with excellent bassists who attempt to fill the very large shoes of Bernard Edwards.
Rodgers often points out words spoken by Bernard on the last night of his life, “The music is bigger than we are.”