Terribly sad news, indeed. I had been following Karn's updates on his site these past number of months, and it seemed that he was somewhat stable, but, alas, this was not the case. Being a huge enthusiast of both Japan and Karn's solo work — in fact, I ordered back in early December some of his recent solo discs — this is a big loss to many an adventurous music genre.
No need for you to justify or explain your feelings about this, Mike. Turning 50 myself last year has hammered home the unfortunate reality that many folks we admire in this life, all the artists & shakers that keep this world interesting & from spinning into abject chaos, are aging with us, older even, in many cases. Having recently seen Robert Fripp in NYC doing his Soundscapes live, grey-haired and turning 65 this year, got me thinking about how time just seems to creep up on you; yep, that old cliché: blink, and it's gone. Makes it doubly important to revere & enjoy who we admire while they're still here.
Nevertheless, Karn will be greatly missed...I myself am quite affected by his passing...sad day for sure.
