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.

Mike Ratledge — co-founding keyboardist for the influential, proggy psych-rock band from Canterbury, Soft Machine — has died. He was 81.

Mike Ratledge, keyboardist and founding member of Soft Machine, has died. He was 81 years old. The news was confirmed by Ratledge’s former bandmate and current Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge in a Facebook post.

Mike was the backbone of Soft Machine in the early years and a man with an absolutely incisive mind,” wrote Soft Machine's John Etheridge.