Founding Cold Chisel bass player Les Kaczmarek died without fulfilling his final dream. He was planning on producing his solo album.
Friend and guitarist Brendan Ozolins was working with Les on putting the project together when his health turned for the worse.“In these last couple years before Les’ health failed his main project was writing an album in which he hoped to have Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss and Don Walker on as guests among many other singers and musicians he loved and respected dearly performing on his tracks and perhaps some of their own too I believe,” Brendan tells Undercover News.
“It had built its momentum and was probably only a matter of weeks from beginning studio sessions when Les’s health took a turn for the worse back in beginning 2007”.
“It is very, very sad he didn’t have the opportunity to realise this”, he says. “I was very proud to be involved with Les’s preparation for this project as the session guitar player along with my partner and singer Amanda Kelly and Tony Lavis drummer from Winter Cherry (ex Super Jesus). It was a privilege watching this master musician, songwriter arranger at work. I can’t help but feel we (music fans/listeners) really missed out on something there”.
Les died of liver failure while waiting for a transplant. He was 53.
He formed Cold Chisel in 1973 with Ian Moss, Don Walker and Steve Prestwich. Les left in 1975 and was replaced by Phil Small.
“Les never stopped song writing and playing bass and guitar,” Brendan says. “He wrote many a well-known jingle for TV and radio ad’s and more recently co-wrote the Port Power club song with Quentin Eyres”.
“He was also in the band Aussie Bloke with Rob Riley (ex Jimmy Barnes and Rose Tattoo) but due to his illness performing music live was extremely hard for him to this end Les continued to do his studio work and songwriting”.
“Everyone who knew Les knew him as true gentleman with a kind and generous heart who would do anything for anyone and will miss him greatly”.
“Our love and hearts go out to his partner Stefi Kaczmarek and all of Les’ family”.
Les was born 18 May 1955.
