Mike Edwards

Michael Edwards (31 May 1948, London — 3 September 2010, Totnes, Devon), known as Deva Pramada after his conversion to Osho's "neo-sannyasins" sect, was an English cellist, bass viol player, and pedagogue. He played cello with the Electric Light Orchestra from the band's formation in 1972 until early 1975 (replaced by Melvyn Gale). Mike Edwards died in a bizarre car accident. As he was returning home, a massive 600-kg cylindrical hay bale fell off a farmer's tractor and rolled down a hill, crashing into Michael's moving van on the road; he died instantly.
Edwards studied piano with John Railton, also taking cello lessons; he played in the Ealing Youth Orchestra in his early years. After graduating high school, Michael worked at Midland Bank for a year before realizing that music was his true passion and calling. In 1968, Mike passed the entrance auditions to the Royal Academy of Music, studying cello under Douglas Cameron and viola da gamba with Dennis Nesbitt. Among his other tutors was John Dankworth, who introduced Michael to jazz and big band repertoire; Edwards graduated with his LRAM (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music) diploma in cello teaching.
In 1972, Mike Edwards joined a newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra, appearing with the band from the debut live concert in Croydon until his departure in January 1975. Before his ELO tenure, Edwards had little interest in non-classical music (besides some studio sessions for Barclay James Harvest). His eccentric stage costumes and unorthodox playing techniques (like plucking the strings with an orange or grapefruit) became a highlight of ELO's early live shows. On several occasions, Edwards would perform a cello solo, either Camille Saint-Saëns's Dying Swan or Bach (opens in a new tab)'s Air, ending with his mock instrument exploding with pyrotechnics. Mike Edwards contributed to several studio albums, including ELO 2 and On The Third Day in 1973, Eldorado (opens in a new tab) "symphony" in 1974, and The Night The Light Went On (In Long Beach) live LP.
After quitting the Electric Light Orchestra, Edwards joined the neo-religious movement of notorious New Age guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1931—1990) and adopted a new name, Swami Deva Pramada (opens in a new tab). In the 1980s, he lived in the Rajneesh commune near Herringswell, Suffolk, and traveled to India, Germany, and the USA. He formed a duo with dancer Avis von Herder, presenting a "Vampire Madonna" stage production at the Edinburgh Festival. In subsequent years, Edwards created several other works for theatre and wrote musical arrangements of William Blake's poems. After settling in Devon, he played cello and bass viol in various local ensembles, including the Devon Baroque Orchestra, and established a private teaching practice. Michael Edwards served as the South-West regional Chairman of the European String Teachers Association (opens in a new tab) and organized ESTA's workshop in Devon in 1999, led by violinist Margaret Faultless.