Edwards’ Cancer Battle

Tragic ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA star MIKE EDWARDS had recently triumphed over cancer before he was killed in a freak accident with a bale of hay on Friday (03Sep10).

The 62-year-old cellist died instantly after a 1,320-pound (600-kilogram) bale fell onto his van as he was driving through Devon, England.

And friends insist the accident was particularly heartbreaking - because the star had recently overcome a bout of depression and undergone treatment for melanoma on his temple.

Pal Jasper Solomon says, “He was delightful. He had a bad period with depression but he had treatment which was a success and he was happy about it.”

The musician quit the band at the height of its fame in 1975 to become a Buddhist.