The rock world is mourning the loss of a true original.
Marcie Free — the powerhouse vocalist behind King Kobra, Signal, and Unruly Child — has died at the age of 71.
A marvel to behold
Her death was confirmed on Friday by longtime friend and drummer Jay Schellen, who performed with Free in Unruly Child. A cause of death has not been made public.
“Marcie was a marvel to behold. A voice that had no limits and no equal, a truly singular talent and one of the most open and beautiful souls I have ever known,” Schellen wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post. “I’m gutted and can’t say much more.”
Schellen went on to say, “This is heartbreaking. Bruce, Guy, Larry all of which I hold dear as family are shattered for the loss of our Marcie. We began UC together in 1992 and continued our friendship and music making throughout these years to this day. Marcie was always an Angel — now you have your wings.”
A voice like no other
Born Mark Edward Free in South Bend, Indiana, in 1954, Marcie’s career began when she was just 19. After moving from Michigan to Las Vegas, and eventually Los Angeles, she found her footing in the world of rock.
Everything changed in 1983 when she met drummer Carmine Appice, who had recently parted ways with Ozzy Osbourne. Together, they formed King Kobra, signing with Capitol Records a year later. With albums like Ready to Strike (1985) and Thrill of a Lifetime (1986), Free’s soaring vocals and unrelenting range made her one of the most distinctive voices in melodic rock.
In 1987, she joined Signal, a short-lived but beloved project that produced the album Loud and Clear. Despite limited promotion, it remains a cult favorite among AOR fans.
By 1990, Free had found her true creative home with Unruly Child, alongside guitarist Bruce Gowdy and keyboardist Guy Allison. The band’s self-titled 1992 debut became a fan favorite, cementing Free’s reputation as one of rock’s great vocal storytellers.
A brave transition
After the release of Unruly Child’s first album, Free made a deeply personal and life-changing decision. In 1993, she publicly came out as transgender, adopting the name Marcie Michelle Free.
The decision, while freeing, came at a cost. “My whole musical world quickly fell apart,” Free later admitted. She said she was shunned by many in the industry after coming out, and that her band’s momentum stalled as a result.
Still, she remained proud and defiant. In interviews, she said that transitioning was a matter of survival — “a decision between life and death” — and that had she stayed living as Mark, she “would have died for sure.”
After stepping away from music in the mid-1990s, Free moved back to Michigan to be closer to family, living what she described as “life as a normal person does every day.”
Free battled alcoholism during this time but found sobriety around 2008, crediting her faith and “close personal relationship with God” for helping her rebuild her life.
Reclaiming her stage
In 2009, Free reunited with Gowdy and Allison to relaunch Unruly Child. The trio released several albums together over the next decade, including Worlds Collide (2010) and Down the Rabbit Hole (2014).
Though she had faced hardship, Free’s fans never left her side. Her journey — from the glam metal stages of the ’80s to her courageous transition and eventual return to music — made her a quiet legend among those who knew her story.
Tributes have poured in from fans and friends alike. “One of my all-time favorite singers to work with. Such an incredible loss,” one fan wrote online. Another added, “Absolutely without question one of my biggest vocal influences… Just an incredible person. My heart breaks personally and for you. Truly a loss for humanity.”
Music journalist Andrew McNeice of Melodic Rock also shared his grief, writing: “It’s the kind of news you dread, especially in the middle of the night… But my friend Marcie Free has left us and I’m heartbroken. I’ll have more to say later. RIP the voice of AOR.”
On Reddit, fans remembered her electrifying stage presence:
“OMG! She did an incredible job on Ready to Strike. I saw King Kobra in San Diego in the ’80s. There were only about 100 people in the club but they gave us an arena show. Sorry to hear about her passing.”
A lasting legacy
Free often cited Aretha Franklin as one of her greatest inspirations, even thanking the soul legend in her album liner notes. Her own voice, raw yet meticulously controlled, carried echoes of classic rock, soul, and sheer emotion.
“Marcie was a marvel to behold,” Jay Schellen’s words still echo — and for those who ever heard her sing, that truth rings eternal.
Free leaves behind a legacy defined by both power and vulnerability. And a voice that never bowed to limits, and a spirit that defied every label. Thank you, Marcie Free, for reminding all that authenticity is the purest form of beauty.
You were was, as her bandmate said best, “always an Angel.” RIP Marcie!
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