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Mike Edwards (6)

[b]Michael Edwards[/b] (31 May 1948, London — 3 September 2010, Totnes, Devon), known as [b][a=Deva Pramada][/b] after his conversion to [a=Osho]'s "neo-sannyasins" sect, was an English cellist, bass viol player, and pedagogue. He played cello with the [a=Electric Light Orchestra] from the band's formation in 1972 until early 1975 (replaced by [a=Melvyn Gale]). Mike Edwards died in a bizarre car accident. As he was returning home, a massive 600-kg cylindrical hay bale fell off a farmer's tractor and rolled down a hill, crashing into Michael's moving van on the road; he died instantly. Edwards studied piano with [a=John Railton], also taking cello lessons; he played in the [a=Ealing Youth Orchestra] in his early years. After graduating high school, Michael worked at [l=Midland Bank] for a year before realizing that music was his true passion and calling. In 1968, Mike passed the entrance auditions to the [l=Royal Academy of Music], studying cello under [a=Douglas Cameron] and viola da gamba with [a=Dennis Nesbitt]. Among his other tutors was [a=John Dankworth], who introduced Michael to jazz and big band repertoire; Edwards graduated with his LRAM (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music) diploma in cello teaching. In 1972, Mike Edwards joined a newly-formed [a=Electric Light Orchestra], appearing with the band from the debut live concert in Croydon until his departure in January 1975. Before his ELO tenure, Edwards had little interest in non-classical music (besides some studio sessions for [a=Barclay James Harvest]). His eccentric stage costumes and unorthodox playing techniques (like plucking the strings with an orange or grapefruit) became a highlight of ELO's early live shows. On several occasions, Edwards would perform a cello solo, either [a=Camille Saint-Saëns]'s [i]Dying Swan[/i] or [url=https://discogs.com/artist/95537]Bach[/url]'s [i]Air[/i], ending with his mock instrument exploding with pyrotechnics. Mike Edwards contributed to several studio albums, including [i][m=97911][/i] and [i][m=21705][/i] in 1973, [i][url=https://discogs.com/master/21685]Eldorado[/url][/i] "symphony" in 1974, and [i][m=159613][/i] live LP. After quitting the Electric Light Orchestra, Edwards joined the neo-religious movement of notorious New Age guru [a=Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh] (1931—1990) and adopted a new name, [url=https://discogs.com/artist/7133240]Swami Deva Pramada[/url]. In the 1980s, he lived in the Rajneesh commune near Herringswell, Suffolk, and traveled to India, Germany, and the USA. He formed a duo with dancer Avis von Herder, presenting a "Vampire Madonna" stage production at the [l=Edinburgh Festival]. In subsequent years, Edwards created several other works for theatre and wrote musical arrangements of [a=William Blake]'s poems. After settling in Devon, he played cello and bass viol in various local ensembles, including the Devon Baroque Orchestra, and established a private teaching practice. Michael Edwards served as the South-West regional Chairman of the [url=https://discogs.com/release/10276994]European String Teachers Association[/url] and organized ESTA's workshop in Devon in 1999, led by violinist [a=Margaret Faultless].