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Keith Flint’s death: The Full Story About How the Colourful Prodigy Frontman Died

The sudden death of the English rocker at age 49 shocked the music world

In the 1990s, Prodigy, along with the likes of Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada and the Propellerheads, were one of the big beat electronic music acts that dominated the English dance charts – and the rest of the world. The band was made up of Liam Howlett, Keith Flint and Maxim.

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The death of Prodigy’s colourful frontman, Keith Flint, came as a shock to all, but especially fans of the band, which was still touring and releasing music at the time. Even the Prodigy’s most recent album, 2018’s No Tourists, reached No. 1 on the UK charts.

Keith also loved motorcycle racing and even ran his own teams.

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When and how did Keith Flint die?

Flint was found dead on March 4, 2019, in his home in Essex, England.  

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His bandmates confirmed the news in a tweet: “It is with deepest shock and sadness that we can confirm the death of our brother and best friend Keith Flint. A true pioneer, innovator and legend. He will be forever missed.”

The BBC states his death was caused by suicide from hanging and according to coroner’s officer Lynsey Chaffee, “Police attended, all protocols were followed and his death was confirmed as not suspicious.” People magazine reports that a full coroner’s hearing will be held on July 23. They are awaiting results of a toxicology report.

Although in the time leading up to his death he had put his house up for sale after splitting from his wife, there seemed to be no marked sign of depression as he completed a 5km fun run two days before his death.

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How old was Keith Flint when he passed away?

The Prodigy star was sadly only 49 years of age at the time of his death. 

Keith Flint Funeral
Flint’s March 29 funeral in Bocking, Essex. (Credit: Getty Images)

What is Keith Flint’s full name?

Wikipedia lists Keith’s full name as Keith Charles Flint.

Where was Keith Flint born?

The singer’s home town was Redbridge, London. He was born on 17 September, 1969, to Clive and Yvonne Flint.

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Where did Keith Flint live?

Raised in East London, he then moved to Springfield, Essex, with his family in the mid-70s. He later lived near Dunmow, Essex, in a Tudor house that contained a motorcycle track in the garden and many animals, including dogs and horses. He seemed to have a great love of the English countryside.

What is Keith Flint’s net worth?

Cheatsheet.com reports that his net worth at the time of his death was around $AUD21 million, which came from his impressive career.

Was Keith Flint gay or bi-sexual?

The rumours over whether Flint was bi-sexual were never addressed by the artist himself and he was only ever reported with girlfriends such as Gail Porter and Mayumi Kai.

Was Keith Flint married?

Yes. In 2006, Keith married Japanese DJ Mayumi Kai, who he met while touring. “She just walked into this room we were in, and you know how it is, I just couldn’t talk, I was overwhelmed,” reports News.com.

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Stars such as Liam Gallagher, David Gest and Natalie Appleton – who is married to Keith’s bandmate, Liam Howlett –  were just a few who appeared on the guest list at the wedding.

They lived together in a home situated in North End, Dunmow. Keith spoke about their life together saying, “We like to take picnics and sandwiches, driving through the green lanes” and “My wife loves the house, the dogs, and the animals we have around us, the deer and the fox that comes and pokes his head through the hedge.” 

However, the couple had separated by the time of Flint’s death and had put their country house on the market.  Mayumi was apparently in Japan when her husband tragically passed away.

Mayumi Kai
Now a widow, Mayumi Kai (Credit: Getty Images)
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Who is Mayumi Kai and what does she do?

Mayumi Kai was Keith Flint’s wife. She was known for being an iconic Japanese DJ, performing under her stage name DJ Gedo Super Mega Bitch, to which she added “Mrs Flint 4” after her marriage to the Prodigy singer.

Flint described her as “beautiful, f***ing cool” to the Times in 2009.

Who else has Keith Flint dated prior to getting married?

From 1999 to 2000 Keith dated TV presenter Gail Porter before she broke up the relationship and married Dan Hipgrave in 2001. After the world found about Keith’s death, Gail posted on Twitter, “Heartbroken.”

In 2004 he dated Jentina Chapman, a teen rapper, however, they only stayed together for seven months.

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Keith Flint with Gail Porter
Keith Flint and Gail Porter: the pair were nicknamed “Beauty and the Beast” (Credit: Getty Images)

Does Keith Flint have any kids?

He did not have any children when he passed.

What bands did Keith Flint perform with?

At a local rave club in Braintree, Essex, Keith Flint met Liam Howlett, a DJ with similar taste in music to him. After listening to Howlett’s mixtapes, Keith proposed he play his music on stage while Keith and his friend Leeroy Thornhill served as backup dancers. Recruiting a fourth member, MC Maxim Reality, the electronic music band became known as The Prodigy.

Keith also starred in punk rock bands Flint and Clever Brains Fryin’, which he created as solo projects.

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What was The Prodigy’s first big hit?

The punk band’s first major hit was ‘Firestarter’, a track featured on their third album The Fat of the Land. Before this album Flint transitioned from dancer to vocalist and used both talents with a new grungy look in the video clip of ‘Firestarter’. 

What were The Prodigy’s most famous songs?

NME lists their top 5 best songs as:

  1. ‘Out of Space’
  2. ‘Firestarter’
  3. ‘Breathe’
  4. ‘Charly’
  5. ‘Ibiza (featuring Jason Williamson)’

But the controversial single ‘Smack My B–ch Up’, which was banned for its provocative video, is also well known.

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The Prodigy
The Prodigy: (from left) Maxim, Liam Howlett, Leeroy Thornhill, Keith Flint (Credit: Getty Images)

How many albums did the Prodigy make?

Before the passing of Keith Flint, the Prodigy created seven albums:

Experience (1992)

Music for the Jilted Generation (1994)

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The Fat of the Land (1997) 

Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004)

Invaders Must Die (2009)

The Day is My Enemy (2015) 

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No Tourists (2018)

What are Keith Flint’s most famous quotes?

Flint was a passionate and courageous performer whose famous quotes really portray his character.

  • “I did a parachute jump just before that first vocals gig and in the plane getting ready to jump was a similar feeling. The countdown to both was ‘My word, what am I doing here?’ When those first lyrics came out is was the same as leaping out of the plane. Amazing. It’s not a character, it’s me, driven by adrenaline and the amazing music.” 
  • “I enjoy being able to totally express myself, and the band is a good excuse to do that.” 
  • “I’d spent years expressing myself with my body and suddenly I had the chance to express myself with my voice.”
  • “Look, at the end of the day, we do what we do because it suits us. Don’t you think it’s kind-of cool to have a band that offends MTV, that puts out a video that real fans have to dig around for, or stay up late to see? The point is to be true to yourself otherwise you may as well give up.”
  • “When, and if, I get to 65, I’d like to say that I did everything – the lot……. Anyhow, can you think of any other job I could do? My school results were terrible and I don’t know how to wallpaper or do anything else. Without this group and this job, I could be making lives a little more miserable for everyone by being the nasty one on the counter at a McDonald’s somewhere. Think about it.”
    (https://theprodigy.info/quotes/keith.html)
  • “I f–king hate this nanny state we live in right now. It’s like being back at school. I cannot be told what to do. As soon as I’m told not to, I will. It’s the death of life, the nanny state. And it kills everything. It will turn us all into zombies.”
    http://www.matt-blake.co.uk/keith-flint-tread-carefully-or-i-will-cut-you-to-shreds/
Keith Flint
Statement hairdo: Keith’s signature double mohawk (Credit: Getty Images)

What are Keith Flint’s best fashion moments and costumes?

Keith flirted with punk style, opting for black eyeliner, coloured hair, assorted piercings and the occasional acid washed denim.

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He said, “I’d like to think I’d been through every colour with my hair and everywhere that could have been pierced on my body has been pierced. Even if all my beloved tattoos have gone saggy by then, at least I can stand up and say, I did it.”

What are Keith Flint’s most famous hairstyles?

Keith’s most iconic hair looks would have to be his distinctive ‘devil horns’ and vibrant coloured mowhawks.

What were Keith Flint’s tattoos of?

Some of his many tattoos included:

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– The word “INFLICTED” inked in large letters across his stomach, which he has said of getting it done that it was possibly the worst pain he had ever been in. It was designed by bandmate Liam Howlett.

– A tribal lady featured on his left arm surrounded by other tribal tattoos.

– A skull, grenade and roses that appeared on his right arm.

– His chest also boasted a massive tattoo design encircled by planes and rockets.

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– The words “You Fools” on the side of his neck.

– Other tattoos that are inscribed throughout his body include a flying bird, smiley face emoji, music notes and various animals.

(https://bodyartguru.com/keith-flint-tattoos/)

Keith Flint hairdo
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Did Keith Flint have a drug addiction?

After his career began, Flint was not interested in drugs despite their popularity amongst rave dancers. He even stated in an interview, “I did half a pill at Labyrinth (a London nightclub) at our first proper gig and I thought my head was going to drop off. I realised I didn’t need a false rush when on stage – it was already there,” he said in a 2015 interview for FHM.

However, things took a turn for the worst in the early 2000s once The Prodigy entered a quiet spell and Keith’s addiction began.

About the situation he has explained “Yeah, it was a dark period”. “I was drinking and taking too many drugs. The problem is, you’ve got s***loads of cash and s***loads of time and all you’re doing is looking for a buzz.”

For a Times interview in 2009, he even admitted that he would “line up rows of pills and just take them and take them, and I’d lose track of how many until I passed out.” 

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To conquer his addiction, Keith insists that it was wife, Mayumi Kai, who “saved him.”

Did Keith Flint smoke?

He did smoke and apparently preferred to roll his own.

Did Keith Flint like fox hunting?

Acquaintances of Keith have revealed how much he loved animals throughout his life. Someone who went to school with Flint recalled how he rescued a sick hedgehog while he was walking home from school and tried to care for it. A dormer headmaster explains how Flint used to feed a rabbit that lived at his school.

What sparked rumours of his acceptance towards fox hunting was in 2016 when he went on a local trail hunt with hunters who lived in Essex. He was criticised by Hacking group Anonymous for attending and animal activists even protested outside the Leather Bottle, a pub that Keith owned.

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Keith cleared this up through a Facebook post, reported in The Guardian,  which stated:

“In regards to a story going around about me right now – yes I live in Essex and have a couple of horses. I went riding with the local trail hunt, it was a ride out and NO ANIMALS WERE HUNTED OR KILLED, so my conscience is clear, it wasn’t my thing and I won’t be going again.”

What will Keith Flint be remembered for?

Keith was the vivid, beating heart of the Prodigy. He could teach many popstars about bringing energy, enthusiasm and passion to their music.

Even among musicians, where the out there is just baseline standard for normal, Keith was an original. His hairstyles, fashion sense and tattoos may have projected the image of an angry young man, but for those he loved – like his bandmates, the women in his life and his animals – he had a big heart.

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As he said in the FHM article, “I’m not frightened of who I am; I just want to look back and know that I’ve lived what I consider a fulfilled life. That’s all. Happy days.”

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Keith Flint talks about camping shoes

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