December 26, 2009
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD DAY FOR THEM:
Folk-rocker Vic Chesnutt dies in Ga. at 45 (AP, 12/26/09)
Chesnutt worked with such notable artists as R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe and guitarist Guy Picciotto of the punk band Fugazi.Chesnutt said in a biography posted on his MySpace page that he came to "a whole new understanding of music" after the 1983 car crash.
He recently had toured with his Vic Chesnutt band, a "supergroup" of sorts featuring members of Canadian bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, as well as Picciotto.
Vic Chesnutt, R.I.P.: Gifted singer-songwriter dies (Simon Vozick-Levinson, 12/25/09, Entertainment Weekly)
The acclaimed singer-songwriter had been in a coma since earlier in the week. Some reports have said Chesnutt attempted suicide before the coma, but the cause of death has not been announced.A statement on Constellation Records’ official site reads in full: “Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59. In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic’s absence unfathomable. We will make more information available according to the wishes of Vic’s family and friends.”
It’s an unspeakably tragic end to Chesnutt’s story. Left in a wheelchair by a car accident at age 18, Chesnutt went on to build a devoted following with his folk-rock songs, many of which dealt eloquently with themes of pain and mortality. That following included many fellow artists: Fans including Madonna, R.E.M., and Smashing Pumpkins covered his work for Sweet Relief II, a 1996 compilation that raised funds for musicians’ health care.
MORE:
-CONCERT ARCHIVES: Vic Chesnutt (Internet Archives)
-AUDIO INTERVIEW: Songs Of Survival And Reflection: 'At The Cut' (Fresh Air from WHYY, 12/01/09, NPR)
-CONCERT: Vic Chesnutt On Mountain Stage (Mountain Stage, June 29, 2009, NPR)
-CONCERT: Vic Chesnutt: Tiny Desk Concert (Robin Hilton, 6/05/08, All Songs Considered)