Mike Ratledge, keyboardist and founding member of the English rock band Soft Machine, has died. He was 81. Soft Machine’s guitarist John Etheridge confirmed his former bandmate’s death in a Facebook post Wednesday, Feb. 5, Louder reported.

Mike Ratledge, keyboardist and founding member of the English rock band Soft Machine, has died at the age of 81. The musician’s death was confirmed by former bandmate and current Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge in a Facebook post, according to Louder.

Mike Ratledge, a founding member of Soft Machine, has died. He was 81. Ratledge reportedly died following a short illness.

Soft Machine founding member and keyboard player Mike Ratledge died on Wednesday, February 5 after a brief illness, according to his former bandmate and guitarist John Etheridge. “Mike was the backbone of Soft Machine in the early years and a man with an absolutely incisive mind – a marvellous composer and keyboardist,

Soft Machine founding member Mike Ratledge dead at 81 following a brief illness, who formed the group in 1966 before departing in 1976, it is revealed.