A 1960s music legend, Ken Wright, and his wife Vanessa were killed in a car crash in July 2025 near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Wright, 85, died at the scene, while Vanessa, 77, passed away in an Oxford hospital days later. An inquest into their deaths was scheduled for June 17, but the Oxfordshire coroner service has confirmed it did not take place due to a decision to hold an 'out of file review'. This process allows a coroner to conclude an inquest based solely on written documents without a hearing. The police have closed their investigation and declined to provide further details.
Musical Legacy
Ken Wright was best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group Cliff Ward and The Cruisers. He also collaborated with late songwriter Clifford T Ward, playing drums on his debut album 'Singer Songwriter' in 1972. Prior to his music career, Wright worked at the BBC and later as an accountant, where he met his wife Vanessa.
Tributes Pour In
Bev Pegg, who performed with Wright, paid tribute: 'In 1972, Ken played drums and I played bass on Clifford T Ward's first album. At the end of 2019, I stopped gigging due to poor hearing. Ken could have carried on but wasn't bothered. It is the suddenness that one reflects on. They were driving along, probably heading home, and within seconds their lives were over. I will miss these two lovely people.'
Friend Mel Hayward added: 'From age 11 to 27, he was my best friend. He was just a great guy.'
