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Tuesday June 5, 2007

Alleycats’ Loga dies

PENANG: Loganathan Arumugam of the Alleycats, or Loga as he was fondly called, has died from lung cancer.

The singer-flutist died at Mount Miriam Hospital here at 10.50am yesterday. He was 54.

Loga: Always believed he would beat the disease
His wife Susan Lovie, 51, said her husband was a fighter to the end.

“He always believed he would beat the disease and was very excited about recording a full orchestral album and a Tamil album with the band once he recovered.

“Loga was sure he would be back on stage by October, and had even planned to go on a cruise with me,” she said.

She said Loga had been suffering from a bad cough for about a year, but was diagnosed with lung cancer only eight months ago.

“We went to so many doctors and none of them could tell us what was wrong until he was sent for a CT scan. By then, the cancer was already in the third stage.

“He never felt sorry for himself – he just said, 'now that we know, let's deal with it'.

“Before he closed his eyes for the last time, he smiled and told me to be strong,” she said.

“I know he would want his fans to keep on supporting the Alleycats. He was with the band for more than three decades – even longer than our marriage.

“As long as you keep listening to his music, Loga will continue to live on,” she said.

Loga was admitted to the hospital on Saturday.

He leaves behind a son, L. Vigneswaran, 24, and daughter, L. Priyadashini, 19.

Huge loss: Vigneswaran (left) consoling his mother Susan Lovie at their home in Tanjung Bungah on Monday while Priyadashini looks on
The Alleycats, formed here in 1969, have entertained fans around the country, and in Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia, for over 30 years.

The group started by playing in clubs around the country before signing a recording deal with PolyGram Records in 1978.

The Alleycats have 30 albums to their credit and are one of Malaysia’s favourite bands, with evergreen hits like Sampaikan Salam, Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu Sebelum Mu and Sekuntum Mawar Merah.

Loga's brother and Alleycats' frontman David Arumugam, 57, said the band would fulfil Loga’s last wish of recording a full orchestral album, and a Tamil album for the band's Indian fans.

He said the albums would be dedicated to Loga.

“Perhaps the proceeds can be given to charity in honour of my brother,” he said.

A distressed David said he had lost a brother, band-mate and business partner.

“We were very close and though I will miss him, the Alleycats will continue to make music – it is what he would have wanted,” he said, adding that his nine other siblings were with Loga before he died.

“He waited for me to arrive at the hospital before taking his last breath. The rest of the family were all there but I was out running an errand when I got a call saying that my brother was not going to make it,” he said.

Alleycats' lead guitarist Din Nazaruddin, 54, described the loss as an “unbearable heartache.”

To mark the sad event, SuriaFM aired songs by the band every hour yesterday.

“The station felt the need to do this because Loga was a member of a band that is a legend in Malaysia,” SuriaFM chief operating officer Engku Emran Engku Zainal Abidin said.

The cortege will leave Loga's house at No. 2, Jalan Azyze in Tanjung Bungah for the Batu Lanchang crematorium at 11am tomorrow.

For details, call 012-399 1677 (Sabrina).

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