His band sold 3.5 million records worldwide.
Ian Watkins, the 48-year-old former vocalist of the British rock band Lostprophets, who was serving a prison sentence for pedophilia, was killed in Wakefield prison. This was reported in a press release on the West Yorkshire Police website.
The correctional facility declined to comment on the incident while an investigation is ongoing. It was specified that two suspects, aged 25 and 43, are currently in custody. Detectives are already investigating the murder.
The vocalist gained worldwide fame through the Lostprophets project. The band sold 3.5 million records worldwide.
In 2008, allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors began to surface against Watkins. Initially, law enforcement could not find any evidence to support his guilt. However, the artist's behavior later changed: he began using illegal substances and, according to some reports, became obsessed with pornography and images related to violence.
Four years later, the police charged Watkins with multiple sexual offenses against minors, children, and animals, as well as possession of indecent images of children and "extreme pornography involving animals." Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
Lostprophets is a rock band from Wales, formed in 1997. They released several demo recordings, 5 studio albums, and 15 singles. Their first album, Thefakesoundofprogress, was originally recorded in one week at a cost of just £4,000 and was initially conceived as a demo album, but the band re-recorded and re-released the album on a much larger scale under Columbia Records in the USA, although in the UK they remained with Visible Noise. Then, in 2004, Start Something was released, and in 2006, Liberation Transmission, both albums received mixed reviews from critics.
The style of Lostprophets is usually classified as nu-metal and hard rock. Their music is less frequently defined as post-grunge and alternative rock. In Lostprophets' music, a strong guitar sound merges with pop elements. There is also a noticeable influence of punk and heavy metal, and even emo. All these aspects manifest to varying degrees in the band's songs. Powerful, sometimes soft melodies are combined with aggressive drumming, while the vocalist's voice is accompanied by memorable riffs. Lostprophets are often compared to bands such as Faith No More, Simple Plan, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Hoobastank, and Incubus. The band's lyrics often convey a sense of disappointment and disillusionment. Some songs are written on an anti-militarist theme.
