Bernard John Marsden, the famous British musician, was born on May 7, 1951, in Buckinghamshire, England. He had the flow of hands that could play in several genres like rock, heavy metal, and the blues. Bernie also played in several famous bands, one of which was Whitesnake. Through the years, he worked as a songwriter, producer, and as a musician. Bernie was signed by many labels like “Warner Brothers,” “Little House Music,” “United Artists,” and so on, being the best at his flick of hands.
Before saying his last goodbye to everybody, Bernie uploaded a video of himself on the internet, where he received an award for the song “Here I Go Again,” which received great feedback and crossed over 8 million streams. But no one had the idea that this would be the last time we’d see Bernie.
Being loved by so many people for his talent and technique on the guitar, as well as for his cleverness in his vocals, Bernie had the perfect niche for being “the guy” on the shows. Playing guitar in several bands throughout his career, Bernie made his place in the hearts of so many people. Bernie’s fan base was still growing as the man performed for many years and had several hit albums in the 90s.
Bernie Marsden and Whitesnake’s Journey
In Bernie Marsden’s autobiography, “Where’s My Guitar?” the musician expressed his inside stories, how some of his songs came into existence and other note-worthy moments in his life. The musician later talked about how the track “Here I Go Again” changed him and his life. The track, before coming into existence, was first recorded on a tape as a bare demo overview before being displayed to David Coverdale.
After listening to the track and the final edited lyrics, David Coverdale felt the urge to run the track and its lyrics through his own perception, as he decided to liquefy the song in a more subtle and attuned manner while keeping its roots strong in the hard rock and blues genres. Bernie felt a sense of responsibility after he saw the potential of the track “Here I Go Again.” Although he felt a sizable change coming his way, he never imagined how great an impact it would have on Bernie’s career.
During these events, the band was going through a tough spot as Moody made the blunt decision to quit the band, while David, Guy, and Bernie kept working on completing the album. It disturbed David that Ian and Jon didn’t show up uninterestedly and that Moody left the band before the album was complete.
In this gritty spot, Bernie spoke to David, confronting him and saying maybe this is not supposed to happen. As Bernie swung those words, he had no idea what would happen next. David smiled with a little conclusion, expressing to Bernie how he was already on the way to getting the stick in the mud. David felt a sense of relief after expressing his situation to Bernie.
Why did Bernie Marsden leave Whitesnake?
While the band decided to get their final blow in by firing the band’s management company, Seabreeze, the band members decided to have a chat at Bernie’s place to get their opinions straight before going all in on the management company in a meeting with John Coletta. The band felt relieved after cutting their ties with Seabreeze management.
Before the meeting would even begin, John Coletta started with the statement that the three of us were fired from Whitesnake, which was a tremendous shock for us, and he completed his sentence by saying how he’d spoken to David’s lawyer regarding the situation.
The silence in the room was heavy as everyone dealt with the situation in their own way. I was blown away by the uncertainty, but later, talking to David, he said it was the only way to get himself away from Seabreeze. But the situation didn’t get away so easily, as John Coletta made Bernie an offer to get signed as a solo artist that very day. The massive burning star that Bernie saw in his band lost its way into space without any clue, due to the Seabreeze management company.
The answer is not that I got fired or that the band just got disbanded; the answer is that everything led me to become the best rock drummer in the entire world. Jon Lord and David worked in the Whitesnake, while the other members were replaced in the process.
Also Read: Rowan Atkinson’s Net Worth
