David Paul Greenfield (29 March 1949 – 3 May 2020) was an English keyboardist, singer and songwriter who was a member of rock band The Stranglers. He joined the band in 1975, within a year of its formation, and played with them for 45 years until his death. Early life and education Greenfield was born on 29 March 1949 in the south coast seaside resort of Brighton. He learned guitar from an older schoolmate and, after leaving school, played for a year in bands at American bases in Germany. Career Greenfield tried to develop a music career in Germany, and played in bands in Britain as well as Germany while also working in his father's printing business and as a piano tuner. In Britain, his bands included The Initials, The Blue Maxi (on the single "Here Comes Summer", released by Major Minor Records in 1970), and progressive rock bands Rusty Butler and Credo. He joined The Stranglers after answering an advert by the band in Melody Maker in July 1975, replacing Hans Wärmling, playing his first gig with them on August 24, 1975. He stayed in the group until his death in 2020. In 1981, Greenfield produced the single "Back to France" by the band Boys in Darkness. Greenfield and Jean-Jacques Burnel released an album together in 1983, Fire & Water (Ecoutez Vos Murs), which was used as the soundtrack for the film Ecoutez vos murs, directed by Vincent Coudanne. He was a musical perfectionist and could be awkward in social situations; observations consistent with his diagnosis, never made public during his lifetime, as a very high-functioning autistic. For many years he was a member of 'Grantanbrycg', the Cambridgeshire branch of the UK re-enactment group Regia Anglorum. Musical style and equipment Greenfield's sound and style of playing, particularly on The Stranglers' debut album Rattus Norvegicus, has been compared to that of Ray Manzarek of the Doors. The comparison was even made at the Stranglers' inception by Jean-Jacques Burnel, who said Greenfield had not heard of the Doors at the time. Greenfield admitted that he knew a few Doors tracks, those being "Light My Fire" and "Riders on the Storm". However, he cited the works of Rick Wakeman of Yes and Jon Lord of Deep Purple as his early influences. He was also noted for his trademark style of playing rapid arpeggios. His distinctive sound on the early Stranglers recordings involved