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Prominent music observer Bens Leo dies
Bens Leo passed away at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta on Monday at the age of 69, after a battle with COVID-19.
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Prominent figure: Senior music observer and former journalist Bens Leo passed away on Monday at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta. (Instagram/Courtesy of Bens Leo @bensleo52) (Instagram/Courtesy of Bens Leo)
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rominent music observer and former journalist Benedictus Benny Hadi Utomo, known best as Bens Leo, died on Monday at the age of 69. Bens had been battling COVID-19 for the past week at Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta.
The news was broken by music journalist Adib Hidayat on social media.
"Farewell Mas Bens Leo. We have lost an irreplaceable journalist and observer of Indonesian music. This has been confirmed by his wife, Mbak Pauline, who sent the news to Teh @RiaHDradjat at 08:24 this morning," Adib tweeted.
A statement from Bens’ family followed and circulated online, confirming his death and asking others to pay their respects by offering prayers from their own homes.
"With all humility, we ask for forgiveness for all the mistakes Bens made during his life," the message read.
“Without reducing our gratitude for the attention and respect given, in order to maintain the nuclear family’s privacy and to comply with the COVID-19 protocols, we ask Bens’ extended family, friends and relatives to guide him to his final resting place with prayers from their own homes,” the note continued.
Born on Aug. 8, 1952, Bens was a distinguished journalist in the music and entertainment industry. His writing on the Indonesian music groups Koes Ploes and Panbers helped boost his career and resulted in him being the only Indonesian music journalist to be invited to the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo in 1976.
He went on to be a talent scout, a judge for music programs, an observer and a producer. Bens produced the debut album of famed music group Kahitna, Cerita Cinta, in 1993. He was also a vocal opponent of music piracy.
Condolences poured in from fellow journalists, musicians and celebrities alike. It was previously reported that Bens had been diagnosed with COVID-19 on Nov. 23, along with his wife, Pauline Endang Praptini.
