Bill Rieflin death: REM, King Crimson and Ministry drummer dies aged 59

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bill Rieflin, a drummer who played with bands including REM, Nine Inch Nails and King Crimson in a career spanning more than 30 years, has died aged 59. “Bill Rieflin flew from this world c. 18.50 Pacific, 18.50 UK,” King Crimson founder Robert Fripp wrote on Facebook, after receiving a phone call confirming Rieflin’s death. Before leaving for a North American tour with King Crimson in 2017, Rieflin told Rolling Stone about his additional role on keys: “There was a question of four drums up front, which is still in the world of possibility. It’s unprecedented that I was brought back in, and unprecedented again that I now fill a completely different role.” Variety noted an example of Rieflin's versatility as a musician was when he performed with Swans and also performed drums on Robbie Williams’s album, Take the Crown, around the same time.