October 14, 2022
NYC musician dies in Switzerland after having ‘completed life’
Renowned NYC musician dies in Switzerland after having ‘completed life’ reports The Independent
A renowned drummer who played with musicians from Michael Stipe to Herbie Hancock died by assisted suicide in Switzerland after having “completed life”.
Anton Fier, 66, traveled to Basel, Switzerland, where he died by assisted suicide at the Pegasos clinic on September 14, according to a cremation notice.
Anton Fier was a member of Exit International.
Exit International director Philip Nitschke said The Independent that Fier was not suffering from a terminal illness, but wanted to die on his own terms after he had “completed” his life.
Fier was a member of Exit, which provides advice to people over 50 who want to end their lives, and was active on the Peaceful Pills online forum, Nitschke said.
In tributes and online articles marking his death, friends and musical collaborators have painted a portrait of an extremely influential and complex musician who went through difficult times.
The New York Times newspaper reported that Fier was in financial trouble and was unable to continue playing drums to his own high standards after injuring his wrists.
“He had a lot of pressures and a lot of anxieties,” said friend and singer-songwriter Lianne Smith. the times. “But when he played music, he was a complete human being.”
Cleveland-born Fier became a key figure in the New York music scene in the 1970s and 1980s.
He joined the influential rock group The Feelies in 1978 and founded the supergroup Golden Palominos in the 1980s, becoming the only constant in an ever-changing lineup of musicians that featured guest appearances from REM frontman Michael Stipe and ex-Sex Pistols singer John Lydon.
Fier also played with experimental jazz band The Lounge Lizards and toured and recorded with legendary pianist Herbie Hancock in the 1980s.
“As a musician, Anton held himself to a very high level, which in turn inspired those around him to be better,” the band wrote. “We have all lost a wonderful musician, a true drummer. And peace found him.”
Renowned NYC musician dies in Switzerland after having ‘completed life’
His ex-fiancée and singer-songwriter Lori Carson wrote in a blog post that Fier was full of “contradictions”.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re not here anymore. But I don’t envy you leaving, and I understand that. Without music, what was the purpose of life?” she wrote.
friends told the times that Fier became a recluse in his later years and began researching ways to end his life after being “hounded by creditors”.
Physician-assisted suicide is legal in 10 US states and Washington DC, and more than a dozen states are considering passing legislation, but only for patients in the final stages of a terminal illness.
The debate over assisted suicide was reignited after the deaths of Arizona sisters Lila Ammouri, a palliative care physician, and Susan Frazier in February.
Lila Ammouri and Susan Frazier died at the Pegasos clinic in Basel in February
The sisters traveled to Basel, Switzerland, without telling their colleagues or brother, and paid $11,000 each to die given an intravenous injection of Nembutal.
They suffered from medical “frustrations” such as dizziness and back pain, and were “tired of life,” Nitschke said.
The issue is often fiercely contested among right-to-death organizations and opponents, who say the laws are open to exploiting vulnerable citizens who may suffer from a disability.
Renowned NYC musician dies in Switzerland after having ‘completed life’
Fier would not have met the eligibility requirements for assisted suicide in the United States.
Dr. Nitschke had already said The Independent that Swiss laws that give mentally competent adults over the age of 18 the right to choose to die should be adopted as a legislative model in other jurisdictions.
“Under Californian law, you may be suffering terribly, but unless you die in six months, it’s not an option.”