His last words (written on a piece of paper by the his bed):

If you don't burn, you can't shine.

Kevin's was a quiet genius born of a gentler optimism that shines through his art. Of the surviving members of the original Soft Machine - Mike Ratledge is living as far from the limelight as possible, Robert Wyatt lives a life of quiet musical cunning knowing he can do no wrong, whilst the eternally youthful Daevid Allen (at 75) is still the whirling cosmo dervish-cum-trickster forever producing his finest work whilst somehow managing to evade celebrity.

Anyway, here's Robert Wyatt's paean to Kevin, circa 1969. One of the high points of the second Soft Machine album; it's always brought a tear to my eye...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2CW1SvWh34

Kevin on earth be here.