Keith Flint, The Prodigy Frontman, 49

Keith Flint
Keith Flint. Image captured from Instagram.

Keith Flint, the lead vocals for the British electronic band The Prodigy, was found dead in his home in Essex, England on March 4, 2019. He was 49.

Local police found Flint’s body after responding to a call saying a man was in distress at his address. Having found no signs of forced entry or foul play, the authorities suspected the cause of death as suicide.

The Prodigy keyboardist and founder Liam Howlett confirmed the cause of death on a post on the band’s official Instagram page: “The news is true. I can’t believe I’m saying this but our brother Keith took his own life over the weekend. I’m shell shocked, f**kin angry, confused and heart broken.”

As one of the founding members of The Prodigy, Flint leaves behind a legacy that spans 30 years. The band is considered to be one of the pioneers of the big beat sub-genre of electronic music. Big beat dominated both the underground and mainstream party scene in the 1990s and the early 2000s.

The Prodigy was born when Flint and Howlett met and struck a friendship at a rave in Essex in 1989. Maxim joined them as the band’s vocalist, Leeroy Thornhill as keyboardist, and Sharky as dancer and vocalist. Initially the band’s dancer, Flint became a vocalist as well. His vocals were featured in many of The Prodigy’s international hits, including “Firestarter” and “Breathe.” These vocals, along with his signature spiked hair, piercings, neon glow, and intense stare, have made Flint one of electronic music’s iconic figures.

Outside of music, Flint was an avid motorcyclist and owned a racing motorcycle team, Team Traction Control. He was also, at one point, the owner of a pub in Essex. Flint was survived by his reportedly estranged wife, Japanese DJ Mayumi Kai.

As of this writing, The Prodigy’s official website features a black landing page with only the band’s logo and the message: “It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother Keith Flint who sadly took his own life over the weekend. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.”

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