17 rock bassists have "died suddenly" worldwide since May 20, 2023
17 rock bassists have "died suddenly" worldwide since May 20, 2023
This makes a total of 34 bassists reported to have “died suddenly” since we started posting these compilations in February, 2022.
GERMANY
Former bassist Andreas "Herzi" Herzi passed away
December 5, 2023
The Dortmund musician Andreas "Herzi" Herzi (1966-2023) died on November 24 . Herz played in bands for many years since the mid-eighties, including from 1985 to 1988 with FLAMING ANGER, from 1992 to 1994 with KREATOR and from 1995 to 2000 with IN RAGS. In addition, Andreas worked at the Dortmund record store Outcast in the 1990s. During his time as KREATOR's woofer, Herzi toured the USA and South America with the band in 1993.
No cause of death reported.
JAPAN
X Japan bassist Heath dies at 55
November 8, 2023
Hiroshi Morie, known as Heath and bassist of the Japanese band X Japan, died in October, however, the news was published last Tuesday, 7, by Yahoo! Japan. Heath, 55, had been secretly battling cancer since the beginning of the year. Heath joined X in 1992 and appeared on two albums, Art of Life (1993) and Dahlia (1996). The band broke up in 1997 and returned in 2007, performing live a few times but releasing no new work. On November 1, Yoshiki, the band's drummer and pianist, cancelled his appearance at the 37th Annual Awards Of Honor Gala in San Francisco, and stated that "someone close to me has passed away" and that he had "made the decision to return to Japan".
UNITED KINGDOM
Ian Brown pays tribute after Stone Roses star dies aged 61
November 6, 2023
The Stone Roses bassist, Pete Garner, has died aged 61 as his bandmate Ian Brown leads with touching tribute. He had been a childhood friend of Brown and fellow guitarist John Squire, joining the legendary rock group in 1983. Stone’s frontman Brown took to X – formerly Twitter – to share his fond memories of his friend. He wrote: ‘Very sad. We were young punk rockers when we met in 77. The nite before Pete’s maths and geography O levels we went to see the Clash. Always made me chuckle he did that and of course he made the right decision!’
No cause of death reported.
UNITED STATES
Gregg Sutton, Songwriter-Musician Who Played With Artists From Lone Justice and Bob Dylan to Andy Kaufman, Dies at 74
October 23, 2023
Gregg Sutton, a songwriter and musician who recorded as a solo artist, was a member of Lone Justice, toured with Bob Dylan and was the musical director for comedian Andy Kaufman, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 74. No cause of death was immediately given. Sutton joined Lone Justice as bassist when the lineup started to change after the group signed to Geffen Records, and he was a key participant in the L.A. group’s second and last album, “Shelter,” in 1986, co-writing the songs “Dreams Come True” and “Inspiration.” His work with Maria McKee continued with her 1989 solo debut as he co-wrote the songs “Breathe” and “This Property Is Condemned.”
AUSTRALIA
Screaming Jets bassist Paul Woosen dies aged 56
September 16, 2023
Screaming Jets bassist and founding member Paul Woseen has died aged 56. His bandmates shared the news on Friday night on their social media channels and said they were 'shattered' by the guitarist's death. 'It is with broken hearts that we tell you our beloved brother in rock Paul Woseen has passed away today,' they wrote in a statement. 'We are shattered, dealing with the loss of Paully, he was a brilliant shining light in all of our lives,' they continued. 'Our hearts are with Paully’s family, and we ask that you respect our need for privacy at this time.' Tributes from Australian celebrities poured in on the band's Instagram page following the tragic announcement. The Living End's Chris Cheney, Rogue Traders rocker Natalie Bassingthwaighte, drummer Jackie Barnes, Noiseworks singer Jon Stevens, Frenzal Rhomb's Lindsay McDougall, and many more all posted their condolences in the comments section. The Newcastle-based band formed in 1989 and went on to become one of the biggest Aussie rock acts of the 1990s.
No cause of death reported.
GERMANY
Bassist of the band Hämaton has passed away
August 16, 2023
The following message has just reached us that the bassist of the band Hämaton has passed away. The band wrote on their Facebook page: “Yesterday, after a short serious illness, our West closed his eyes forever. There are no words that can express our sadness and bewilderment. We've shared the stage, passion and dreams for over 30 years and right now we just don't know how we're ever going to cope with his loss. West was one of the weirdest and at the same time loveliest people in this world.”
No cause of death reported.
UNITED STATES
Former Goatwhore Bassist James Harvey IV Dead at 35
August 2, 2023
The music world is mourning the death of former Goatwhore bassist James Harvey IV at the age of 35. The news was confirmed by his sister Rachel, who shared a statement confirming the musician's death. “It is with a broken heart that I announce the passing of my big brother James E. Harvey IV. He died peacefully in his sleep on July 26 as an otherwise healthy 35-year-old. He lived an epic life and we will carry on his legacy. Our focus is on family unity and supporting Lorrena, Jay and Ollie," she wrote, then sharing details of a GoFundMe account that had been launched to support the bassist's family. Harvey started his musical career playing with the band Driven By Suffering in 2003 and 2004. From there, he performed with Ritual Killer and Psychon Vex before landing his most prominent role as the bassist for Goatwhore in 2009.
No cause of death reported.
The Eagles founding member, ‘Take It to the Limit’ singer, Randy Meisner dies at 77, band says
July 27, 2023
The Eagles announced founding member, bassist and vocalist Randy Meisner died last night in Los Angeles at the age of 77. The band in a statement on Facebook said that Meisner died from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “Randy was an integral part of the Eagles and instrumental in the early success of the band. His vocal range was astonishing, as is evident on his signature ballad, ‘Take It to the Limit,’” said the Eagles. Meisner, along with Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Bernie Leadon formed the Eagles in 1971, according to Variety . They made multiple albums including “Eagles,” “Desperado,” “On The Border,” “One of These Nights,” and “Hotel California.” Meisner also co-wrote and sang the band’s hit song, “Take It to the Limit.” ‘The Long Goodbye’: The band said that Meisner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with the group.
Brad Houser, Edie Brickell and New Bohemians Bassist, Dead at 62
July 25, 2023
Brad Houser, the Texas-based musician who played bass in the longtime jam band Edie Brickell and New Bohemians, has died at age 62. The artist suffered a stroke on July 17th and passed away on the 24th. Born on September 7th, 1960 in Dallas, Texas, John Bradley Houser founded New Bohemians in the early 1980s, originally playing vibraslap while Eric Presswood played guitar and Brandon Aly played drums. Edie Brickell joined as a singer in 1985. Later known as Edie Brickell and New Bohemians, the band’s 1988 debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, housed the hit “What I Am.” In recent years, Houser lived in Austin, where he worked as an instructor at the New School of Music, which offered free music classes to underserved communities. According to Brickell, he had also been working on New Bohemians music. “Just spent 6 weeks playing and recording with my friends, New Bohemians,” the singer posted following Houser’s death. “It was our final day recording and Brad was about to take off for a gig when I said, ‘Aw, come on! One more jam, Brad. You start it.’ He nodded and played this great part and I started singing about him to him with the biggest smile on my face just having fun.” Brickell continued, “I was celebrating his generosity to stay and play one last song with me. But I never thought it would be our final song together. Our band’s very last jam was a playful song about Brad. I loved him. He taught me a lot.”
RIP Neal Langford of The Shins and Flake Music, Dead at 50
July 28, 2023
The bassist for the Indie outfit the Shins and Flake Music, Neal Langford, has died at age 50, according to BrooklynVegan. The news comes from Shins frontman James Mercer, who shared on Instagram that “one of the best friends I (Mercer)’ve ever had has passed.” He commented on how important Langford was to him personally. He concluded his tribute, saying that “There’s too much to the story but I loved him. And I owe him a lot. Neal Langford you were always loved and you always will be.”
No cause of death reported.
ITALY
Mourning in music, Toni Carbone died: Denovo musician and producer
July 11, 2023
After being part of Denovo, Carbone has produced many young artists and has never stopped being involved in music. Impossible not to know it for anyone who has haunted concerts and music things in the city in the last forty years. Suddenly taken ill a few days ago Carbone, 62 years old on 22 May last, died today in Catania. "A piece of my life is gone ... twenty years, music, dreams, satisfactions, hundreds of concerts with a brilliant friend and bassist! Goodbye Toni", this is Luca Madonia's greeting to his friend on social media .
No cause of death reported.
UNITED KINGDOM
Bassist Mo Foster, who played on over 400 albums and singles, dead at 78
July 4, 2023
British session bassist Mo Foster, who worked with a wide range of rock, blues and prog artists in a career spanning seven decades, died at the age of 78 on July 3 (Monday). The news was confirmed by guitarist Ray Russell, a long-term collaborator, who was at Foster’s bedside when he died. After building his own bass as a teenager because none were available for sale, Foster co-founded the prog-jazz band Affinity before developing a roster of live appointments that included work with Phil Collins (on his 1982 debut solo tour and that year’s album Hello, I Must Be Going ), Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Roger Glover, Michael Schenker, Sting and many others. In his personal tribute, Russell expressed his sadness at their 50-year friendship ending, “I held his hand, kissed him, said my goodbyes and he fell into a deep sleep,” the guitarist said. “Six hours later he had slipped away hopefully to join the famous others who have left us.”
No cause of death reported.
One of Maanam's stars is dead. Fans of the band in mourning. "He died suddenly"
June 23, 2023
Condolences are flowing. Krzysztof Olesinski, 70, is dead. The bassist was a member of the legendary band Maanam for 12 years. As it turns out, the man died suddenly in London, which was reported on social media. Krzysztof Olesiński played in Maanam in the years 1979-1980 and 1992-2003. He also performed with the band at the Song Festival in Opole, and also took part in the recordings of the band's debut album. Together with his brother Ryszard Olesiński he also founded the band Piknik. In 2006 he moved to London, where he settled permanently. He was also the Artistic Director of Polish Television on the islands of TVPL.tv.
No cause of death reported.
BRAZIL
Bassist of the band Cleiton & Camargo is found dead in Brasnorte
June 6, 2023
Pedro Henrique Nascimento Ferreira, 34, bassist of the band Cleiton & Camargo, was found dead in a hotel room in Brasnorte, 580 km from Cuiabá, on Tuesday afternoon (6th). The musician was in town accompanying the duo's tour. In the room, there were no signs of break-in or violence. Pedro Henrique's colleagues claim to have missed the musician at lunch and, when they entered the place, they already found him lifeless. The hotel staff activated the SAMU and paramedics arrived and certified the death. According to the preliminary medical report, the reason for death was a sudden illness.
No cause of death reported.
CUBA
Los Van Van bassist dies after heart attack during concert in New York
May 27, 2023
Juan Carlos Formell, bassist of the Cuban group Los Van Van, died after suffering a heart attack. The musician had just finished a concert in New York. The Cuban musician died at the age of 59, minutes after having played at a concert; it is known that during the event Formell felt unwell, so he had to leave the stage. The moment the bassist left the performance was recorded. Formell felt unwell during a performance at the Lehman Center in The Bronx, and for this reason the show had to be stopped and the musician was replaced with another bassist in order to continue. It was reported that, although everything was tried to help him, unfortunately the Cuban musician died minutes later. For this reason, the group issued a message on its Facebook account. "Dear fans. It is with great sadness that we inform you that our brother and bassist has passed away. Everyone who has ever met him knows how special he was as a human being, as a professional and as a musician. We are all devastated by this news. We are left rejoicing that his last moments were on stage giving everything for our music, for our family, for The Van Van and for his fans. We will miss you very much Juanca."
Link
UNITED KINGDOM
Andy Rourke Dies: The Smiths Bassist Was 59
May 19, 2023
Andy Rourke, who played bass for The Smiths on all four of the English band’s albums, died today of pancreatic cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He was 59. Tributes from the music world poured in following the announcement of Rourke’s death, which was made by his friend and Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr this morning.
Link
Kate Bush pays tribute to bassist John Giblin, who has died aged 71
May 16, 2023
Kate Bush has shared an emotional tribute to her former bassist John Giblin, who has died at the age of 71. The musician’s death was confirmed in a Facebook post by the band Osibisa, with whom he had recently collaborated. Giblin passed away last Sunday (May 14) in Cheltenham after “battling illness”, according to the group. The obituary went on to describe him as a “bass guitarist, double bass player, arranger and all-round session musician extraordinaire”.
No cause of death reported.
let's not forget robbie shakespeare, one of the best ever - an early casualty
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/robbie-shakespeare-reggae-duo-sly-robbie-dies-68-2021-12-08/
At least this never happened:
Its not very pleasant story…but uh, he died, uh he choked on uh, the official explanation was he choked on vomit…
Nigel Tufnel: It was actually – it was actually someone else’s vomit…you know there’s no real…
Derek Smalls: Well they can’t prove whose vomit it was…