Michael Stipe paid tribute to late R.E.M. touring drummer Bill Rieflin, who died on Tuesday at the age of 59 due to cancer.
In a post on R.E.M.’s Instagram, Stipe remembered Rieflin’s “depth and sincerity that I cherished to be around, and a humor that always had a foot in the playful yet never shallow.
“I feel comforted that Bill was a contemplative soul, had a strong meditation practice and never averted the actual meaning of life. He would always dive into it with you,” Stipe continued.
In a separate post, Mike Mills wrote, “Bill Rieflin was a gentleman and a gentle man, but he could beat the shit out of a set of drums. A musical polymath, deeply intelligent and very funny. I’ll miss sharing his darkness and his laughter. Words really don’t suffice. R.I.P., Spill Brieflin.”
See the posts below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-JJ-8dJ6RL/
Bill Rieflin was a gentleman and a gentle man, but he could beat the shit out of a set of drums. A musical polymath, deeply intelligent and very funny. I’ll miss sharing his darkness and his laughter. Words really don’t suffice. R.I.P., Spill Brieflin.
— Mike Mills ??✌???⚾️ ??? (@m_millsey) March 25, 2020
