The leader of a rock band has disappeared. Suicide is suspected -- his abandoned car eventually turns up near a bridge popular with hopeless jumpers -- but a body is never found. His family and fans refuse to accept that he's dead. A legend builds.
It may sound like ''Eddie and the Cruisers,'' but it's the real saga of Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards -- a story that entered a new chapter last month in Britain. Missing for seven years as of Feb. 1, Edwards can now be declared legally dead under British law -- should his family opt to do so. And the legal benchmark has deepened the Manic mystery.
A politically outspoken glam-punk, Edwards, then age 27, was last seen at his London hotel on the eve of an American promo tour. Two weeks later, his silver Vauxhall Cavalier was found at a service station near the Severn Bridge outside Bristol. In his hotel room, authorities found neat bundles of books, photos, and videos -- and a note that read simply, ''I love you.'' It was also discovered that, in the weeks before he disappeared, he'd withdrawn a total of about $3,000 from the bank. His sister has said that Edwards had been ''obsessed with the perfect disappearance.''
''I reckon he's alive,'' says John Taylor, who has run a Manics website for three years. ''There's no actual evidence of him killing himself, and the fact that he took [out the cash] could easily help him leave the country and start a new life.'' Edwards was also purportedly a fan of J.D. Salinger, the notoriously reclusive writer.
Over the years, the Edwards faithful have been buoyed by rumored Richey sightings -- there have been enough to make Elvis jealous. Fans claim they've spotted him in India, Mexico, Iceland, and the Canary Islands.
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.