Sisters Of Mercy guitarist Chris Sheehan has lost his battle against cancer

[dropcap]New [/dropcap]Zealander Chris Sheehan (real name Chris Starling) has lost his long battle with Stage 4 metastatic nodular melanoma, a cancer which is very difficult to treat.

His musical career includes founding band The Starlings, and performing with Curve, Babylon Zoo, the Sisters of Mercy and Mutton Birds. His time playing guitar with The Sisters of Mercy was the 1996 Roadkill-Tour, and then again from 2000-2003, during the Trip The Light Fantastic, Exxile On Euphoria, the Summer Europe 2002 and Smoke And Mirrors tours, leaving the band in 2005.

Chris launched a fundrzr campaign to release one last album, with the motive of making it free to download:

‘ I’m one of the ‘living with’ not ‘dying of’ cancer group. I have never asked a doc ‘how long?’ If you help thanks—you will get links to any finished music. The music will be available as free mp3s regardless. Napster killed expense accounts…good job!’

“I can’t justify any of my limited income to be spent on my own non-profit activities. Stage 4 metastatic nodular melanoma. Clinical trials and palliative treatment only. Wife terminally ill. Dozens of rescue animals. I don’t own a computer anymore and would like a good laptop and software to see what comes out. I will not divert money from my family for selfish artistic urges. Maybe someone who enjoyed a starlings record at sometime is flush. The closest I’ve been is flushed. Anyway if no one helps I’m off the hook so nothing to lose. Ta Chris.”