On November 28 (Tue), the "HEATH Farewell & Flower Offering Ceremony" was held at Spotify O-EAST in Tokyo.
About 10,000 visitors attended the flower offering ceremony that began in the morning. HEATH's favorite bass was displayed on the flower stand, and numerous fans came together and shed tears as they offered red roses to bid him farewell.
In the evening, X JAPAN members YOSHIKI, PATA, SUGIZO, and about 100 other musicians attended the ceremony and placed flowers on the flower stand decorated with a photo of HEATH.
YOSHIKI, the leader of X JAPAN, gave the following statement as he held back tears. "HEATH was an important member of X JAPAN who supported us until the very end. X JAPAN has been a band with many ups and downs, but he always took pride in this chaotic group. HEATH's contributions to the band are immeasurable. After disbanding and reforming, we toured throughout the world together. We performed at a dinner show in August of this year, and I never would have guessed that that day would be the last. The press conference announcing that HEATH would join the band took place at Rockefeller Center in New York, and it was there that "X" became "X JAPAN." In a strange coincidence, I found out about his death while I was in New York for a performance. I heard from his family that HEATH said he wanted to be sent off cheerfully, without sad feelings. This portrait was also chosen by HEATH. To me, he was an incredibly cool guy who lived his life as a rock musician until the end. We are planning to hold a memorial concert in the future. Sometimes I feel like stopping and blaming myself, wishing that I had done things differently in the past. But I think that the best choice is for us to continue moving forward."
Then, as a dedication to HEATH, he performed "ENDLESS RAIN" on the piano that was set up in front of the altar. As the other members looked on, he offered his condolences by expressing his feelings towards HEATH through music.
YOSHIKI Official Site: https://www.yoshiki.net/
YOSHIKI YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/yoshikiofficial
YOSHIKI Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoshikiofficial/