News

‘Goodbye Horses’ singer Q Lazzarus dies aged 61

Her 1988 hit became famous after being used in The Silence Of The Lambs

Singer of the 1988 hit ‘Goodbye Horses’ Q Lazzarus has died aged 61.

Q Lazzarus, whose real name was Diane Luckey, died on July 19 with news of her death recently announced.

Luckey was best known for her song ‘Goodbye Horses’, which features in multiple Jonathan Demme films such as The Silence Of The Lambs and Married To The Mob.

‘Goodbye Horses’ has been covered by many artists from Jon Hopkins to MGMT, along with being played by DJs such as Finn Johannsen, Michael Mayer and Optimo.

She met filmmaker Demme when she worked as a taxi driver and played him her band’s demo, which led to her track being used years later in his films, and also saw her make cameo appearances.

Luckey grew up in New Jersey where she later formed her band, Q Lazzarus And The Resurrection.

She kept her identity anonymous for many years until 2018 when she revealed her name answering a fan's question on Twitter.

A documentary on Luckey’s life by filmmaker Eva Aridjis will be out in 2023 along with an album of her music.

Listen to ‘Goodbye Horses’ below.

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Video and Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter