Nigel Durham denied death rumors months before the former Saxon drummer died at 61

Former Saxon drummer Nigel Durham died at 61, months after he pushed back against false online reports of his death. The British heavy metal band confirmed that he died in a statement on October 24, 2026. It did not disclose his cause of death.

Durham had addressed the earlier rumors himself in a Facebook post in July. That time he confirmed the fans that he was still alive after reports of his death circulated online in April.

What did Nigel Durham say about the death rumors?

Durham responded to the online rumors in a Facebook post dated July 14, 2026.


“Don’t know how this got started but I can assure everyone that I’m still alive & kickin. Lol,” he wrote.

The post came after false reports of his death spread online in April. The Metal Archives also recorded the reports as an internet prank.

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What did Saxon say about Nigel Durham’s death?

Saxon announced Durham’s death on October 24 in a social media statement.

“We are very sad to hear of the passing of a member of the Saxon family, former drummer Nigel Durham,” the band wrote. It also sent its love and thoughts to his wife, Lauretta, daughter Gemma, grandchildren and other family members.

Who was Nigel Durham?

Durham was a British drummer who played with Saxon from 1987 to 1988. He appeared on the band’s 1988 album Destiny.

He later played with Son of a Bitch and Oliver/Dawson Saxon. He also joined the British hard rock band Morpheus Rising in 2013.

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In an announcement about his arrival, Morpheus Rising praised his experience with Saxon and Oliver/Dawson Saxon. The band said it was looking forward to working with him on rehearsals, live performances and new music.

Although Durham’s time with Saxon was relatively brief, he continued to perform with other groups in the years that followed.