The sad news has come down that original Trouble singer / The Skull frontman, Eric Wagner, has passed away at 62 following a battle with COVID pneumonia. The news was confirmed by Eric's son, Luke Wagner, via a comment left on a post at The Skull's Facebook page.

Trouble guitarist, Rick Wartell, has issued the following statement in regards to his former bandmate:

"R.I.P. Eric

"I am very saddened by the passing of Eric. He lived his life his way. As a poet, daring to push the boundaries in search of more and deeper philosophies. Looking for answers to life's deepest questions and mysteries. May he now find these answers. May he find peace.

"I would like to extend my sympathy to Eric's family for their loss."

Meanwhile, Cathedral frontman, Lee Dorrian, took to social media to pay his respects, stating: "I had heard that Eric Wagner was ill in hospital but doing well and receiving good care. The news that he has died is nothing less than a tragic shock.

"There’s no denying that Trouble were a massive influence on me since first hearing them in the mid 80s and they changed the very notion of what true heaviness was to me. Their first two albums in particular are stunning examples of how soulful and punishingly heavy the art of Doom Metal can actually be. They completely reinvented the genre and transcended the basic formula into something truly unique. Their influence on early Cathedral was unquestionable, even more-so than Sabbath, particularly with regard to the the twin guitar aspect.

"To me, The Skull is the heaviest Doom Metal album ever recorded. I still remember the day it came in to Revolver record shop in Coventry and asking the guy behind the counter to play it. It literally felt like the building was about to collapse when 'Pray For the Dead' kicked in.

"The first time Trouble came to the UK in 1990, I went to every show bar Scottish dates. We (Cathedral) toured with them on several occasions and some crazy, crazy times were had.

"My condolences go to Eric’s friends, family and former bandmates. RIP Eric."

The initial post from The Skull, dated August 17, stated: "Hey all. More bad news... We will not be able to play Psycho Vegas this Thursday. While 3 out of 4 of us who tested positive for Covid are recovering nicely... Eric Wagner’s bout with Covid has gotten worse and he was admitted to the hospital yesterday with COVID pneumonia. Positive thoughts and words will be helpful."

Late Sunday (August 22), Luke Wagner commented on the post, revealing: "Hey all this is Luke Wagner his oldest son. Eric Wagner has passed away."