Maggie Roche, one-third of family band the Roches, has died. Roche’s sister and bandmate Suzzy confirmed the news in the below Facebook note, saying she died after a long battle with cancer. She was 65. “She was a private person, too sensitive and shy for this world, but brimming with life, love, and talent,” the note reads. “I want to let you know how grateful she was to everyone who listened and understood her through her music and her songs. ... It’ll be hard for me to carry on without her.”
The Roches grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey. In 1973, Maggie and sister Terre sang back-up on Paul Simon’s album There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. They were signed to Columbia Records as a duo and released their album Seductive Reasoning in 1975. Their younger sister Suzzy joined them to form the Roches. Their first self-titled album as a trio, produced by Robert Fripp, was released in 1979. The trio continued recording and performing until their final album Moonswept was released in 2007.
“Hammond Song” was listed on Pitchfork’s “200 Best Songs of the 1970s.”
