8 Famous Musicians Who Mysteriously Disappeared And Were Never Seen Again

Richey Edwards was the guitarist for the Manic Street Preachers from 1989 until his disappearance in 1995. The native of Blackwood, Monmouthshire, Wales, was also a songwriter who has been called 'one of the most thought-provoking lyricists Britain has ever produced.' He is credited as being a leading figure in Cool Cymru, which is a Welsh cultural movement centered around the arts.

A troubled young man, Edwards discussed his bouts with depression in interviews and was also known to self-harm. The guitarist famously carved '4 Real' into his own arm with a razor blade, after a reporter questioned the band's authenticity.

On February 1, 1995, the iconic songwriter, who was supposed to fly to the United States to promote the band's new album (The Holy Bible), simply vanished.

Sixteen days later, his car was discovered near a popular suicide location, Severn Bridge. Given where the vehicle was found, many believed that Edwards had jumped off the bridge and ended his own life.

However, there have also been several alleged sightings of the alternative rockers in the years following his disappearance. He's rumored to have been seen everywhere from the Canary Islands to India — though none of the sightings have ever been confirmed.

In 2019, authors Leon Noakes and Sara Hays Roberts released a book called Withdrawn Traces: Searching for the Truth about Richey Manic. The work suggests that the guitarist staged his own disappearance.

While his fate remains a mystery, On November 23, 2008, Edwards was officially declared dead in absentia.