Robert Quine
Robert Quine (December 30, 1942 - June 6, 2004) is a guitarist who has worked with a wide range of impressive muscians, though he himself remains relatively unknown in comparison. Briefly, his collaborators include Richard Hell & the Voidoids; Lou Reed (notably on The Blue Mask); Brian Eno (on Nervenet); John Zorn; Ikue Mori; Marc Ribot; Marianne Faithfull (Strange Weather); Tom Waits (Rain Dogs); and many more, including a rare 7" by Lester Bangs.
He spent a number of years working towards a legal career before giving up on it, and he happened to be working in a movie memorabillia store in New York with Richard Hell as well as Tom Verlaine. Later he was invited by Hell to join his new band The Voidoids, thus making punk history and beginning his musical career.
To quote Lester Bangs from his 1977 article about The Clash tour:
- Someday Quine will be recognized for the pivotal figure that he is on his instrument -- he is the first guitarist to take the breakthroughs of early Lou Reed and James Williamson and work through them to a new, individual vocabulary, driven into odd places by obsessive attention to On the Corner-era Miles Davis.
Also noting Quine's influence is Marc Ribot, who has stated, "in terms of punk rock guitar soloing, he could definitely be called the inventor." [1]
Quine continuing recording into his 60s. He comitted suicide in his home on June 6, 2004.