Greg Gilbert, frontman of the Southampton band Delays, has died at the age of 44. Gilbert had been diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016. His brother and bandmate Aaron Gilbert announced the news on social media, writing, “This afternoon at 2:22; we walked my brother back home to somewhere out there in the ether. Greg died surrounded in the endless love that us & all of you have given him on this journey, and we will never be able to fully express how much it meant to him (and all of us) to have you by our side lifting us up like a winged army.”
Formed in the early 2000s, the group went through a few name changes (they were initially called Corky, then Idoru) before finally settling on Delays. They issued their debut full-length album, Faded Seaside Glamour, in 2004 on Rough Trade Records, and went on to release three more LPs: You See Colours in 2005, Everything’s the Rush in 2008, and Star Tiger Star Ariel in 2010.
After his diagnosis, Gilbert, who had studied at Winchester Art School before playing in the Delays, began focusing on creative practices such as drawing, painting, and writing poetry. His work was exhibited alongside Leonardo da Vinci at Southampton City Art Gallery, while his poetry was selected for publication by Carol Ann Duffy as part of her Laureate’s Choice series.
Gilbert is survived by his wife, Stacey, and their children Dali and Bay.
“I’m so lucky to have had a brother to carve out such impossibly beautiful moments with, and to show me the true meaning of grace, courage and strength,” his brother Aaron wrote in his statement. “He is, & always will be in our melodies, & in all the breaths in between, he’s is in every brush stroke and every piece of art that his mind gave light to.”
My brother @GregDelays x pic.twitter.com/GMUM1pe3SK
— Aaron Gilbert (@AaronDelays) September 30, 2021
