Robert Heaton
However, following the departure of Ginger Baker in 1981, and with the band's leader Dave Brock's increasing frustration at the inability of several replacements to keep perfect time, Heaton and The Cure's Andy Anderson filled the position for a brief period.Heaton left Hawkwind in 1983 in order to focus fully on his new project New Model Army whom he had joined in 1982, replacing previous drummer Rob Waddington.He left New Model Army in 1998 for health reasons - he had long suffered from sarcoidosis, undergoing repeated surgery, and was then diagnosed with a brain tumour - and was replaced on drums by his roadie Michael Dean.Though the surgery on his brain tumour was successful, he was advised by his surgeons that he would be unlikely to play musical instruments professionally for several years, which ultimately resulted in the end of his career with New Model Army.The fall was attributed to a complication relating to both his former brain tumour and newly diagnosed, but severe pancreatic cancer, on 4 November 2004 at the age of 43, leaving a wife Robin and son.