Unruly Child’s Marcie Free Passes Away at 71
Well, this sucks. It’s getting harder and harder to have to keep reporting on key metal figures leaving us for what is hopefully a better beyond. Sadly, this time around, we’ve unfortunately had to say goodbye to Marcie Free, the frontwoman of Unruly Child and vocalist in King Kobra and Signal. She was 71-years-old.
Free’s death was confirmed by her Unruly Child drummer bandmate Jay Schellen in a Facebook post yesterday, October 24:
“I just couldn’t find the words last night when I heard the news that my loving friend and bandmate in Unruly Child Marcie Free has passed. This is heartbreaking.
“Bruce [Gowdy, guitar], Guy [Allison, keyboards], Larry [Antonino, bass] all of which I hold dear as family are shattered for the loss of our Marcie. We began UC together in 1992 and continued our friendship and music making throughout these years to this day.
“Marcie was a marvel to behold. A voice that had no limits and no equal, a truly singular talent and one of the most open and beautiful souls I have ever known.
“I’m gutted and can’t say much more.
“To my bandmates, Bruce, Guy, Larry, I love you guys, love to you too Marcie, you always were an Angel, now you have your wings.”
Carmine Appice, Free’s bandmate in King Kobra, also took to social media to express his sadness:
“I am so sad that my good friend Marcie/Mark Free passed away. What a great person with the greatest voice. We have been friends since 1982 and we were still friends to this day.
“I don’t know how she passed. I talked to her just 2-3 weeks ago and she seemed okay. I am really sorry about her passing. The work she did as Mark Free with KING KOBRA was amazing.
“We are doing a new KING KOBRA song called ‘Chances’, an AIR SUPPLY song. I want to dedicate it to Marcie because we started KING KOBRA together, and this is also part of her legacy.
“RIP my good friend. I’m so sorry you’re gone.”
Free is iconic in the metal world for several reasons, one of which was her coming out as transgender back in 1993. Because people are shitty and think you can’t still make awesome shit or be an incredibly talented and brutal musician, her career took a severe hit, with prior industry connections and collaborators shunning her once she transitioned.
Under her deadname Mark Free, she did lead vocals on the first two King Kobra albums Ready to Strike and Thrill of a Lifetime. After leaving the band, she released two records with the band Signal—1989’s Loud & Clear and 2000’s Signal Live. She then ventured out into a solo career, releasing Long Way from Love under her deadname in 1993, and Tormented as herself in 1996.
Rest in power, queen. Your influence is unmatched.
