Passed away in his sleep on May 24.
God is nowhere, God is now here
"Tell them that joke you know."
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That is terribly, terribly sad. Poor guy. I loved him in the movie, and I enjoyed what he brought to the band musically; though you could see him and Jeff clashing creatively, I think the movie also brought out a genuine affection between the two of them. RIP Jay :(
I'm a cherry ghost
He was a brilliant musician, and this is a tremendous loss to music. I have to say Wilco wasn't the same after he left. He was only 45. I wonder what caused him to die in his sleep?
shareI don't think the cause of death has been announced yet. I just watched "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" again (I watch it every few months, and had just watched it about four weeks ago, but felt the need to see it again now); the final freeze frame of Jay at the end of the Chicago concert, just before they let him go from the band, takes on a new, poignant sadness now :(
I'm a cherry ghost
Yes, the film is truly heartbreaking to watch now, but all the more important. Wilco was never the same after Jay left, and this film is proof of his contributions and the turmoil within the band. Thankfully, he left us several mementos of his talent that will ensure the he will never be forgotten.
shareIt was tough watching IATTBYH after hearing Jay had died. Especially the freeze of him leaving the stage at his last show, as stated above.
He was a huge contributor on Being There, and especially Summerteeth & Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Three amazing records. I've missed him since he left the band.
RIP
Also, he recently had a hip replacement. It's believed that he died from complications relating to the surgery but I haven't heard anything official.
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turns out he ODed. pain killer called fentanyl. the drug is found in patches used to treat chronic pain. the patches have previously been recalled due to leaking issues that could cause overdoses.
it is what it is.
i won't speculate out of respect to those he left behind and the fact that he was a part of Being There, Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
and you're right, he didn't have the surgery.
Is that official, about the drug? I was wondering if maybe he had had a blood clot resulting from the hip injury. Poor guy, he must have been in a lot of pain, mentally and physically. I hope he is at peace now.
I'm a cherry ghost
yes, that's official. he died of a drug overdose. i believe it was ruled accidental.
shareThis is incredibly sad. I just finished watching this movie and immediately sought to find out what happened to Jay. He was astoundingly talented and could play anything. After watching his treatment here, I can't bring myself to follow Wilco. YHF is a very interesting album, and it looks like Jay was a big part of that. Celebrate the man tonight and give a listen to his solo album available for free download here:
http://rockproper.com/jay-bennett/whatever-happened-i-apologize.html
The title itself is poignant although probably not related to the situation. I hope that Jay had satisfaction in his accomplishment as a musician and creator. Conflict is a part of any life; creative achievement is part of only a few. I raise a glass to you. Rest in peace.
I'm adding to this old thread to correct the idea that Jay had hip-replacement surgery. He was in terrible pain because he needed hip-replacement surgery, and he was trying to save money for it because he could not get health insurance.
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/09/remembering- jay-bennett-in-benefit-concert.html
So, as in the case of Alex Chilton, an extremely talented musician has been lost because the artist lacked health insurance and could not get the treatment he needed. Alex had been experiencing chest pains in the few days leading up to his heart attack, but did not go to the ER because he didn't have health insurance. Jay had to live in debilitating pain because the surgery was out of his reach financially.
These two deaths got me to thinking how many talented musicians have been lost before their time because they could not afford proper health insurance. If you think of all the older blues and jazz players who maybe are not so commercial these days, the number of artists affected by this problem must be large.
Thank you for the necessary perspective. Many musicians, young and old, fall through through the cracks of the health care system. It's absolutely tragic that talents like Jay Bennett and Alex Children did not have the insurance necessary for fairly routine treatments, but rock 'n' roll is a field that provides instant payoffs for a select few but a lifetime of struggle for most.
Lots of talented musicians wind up selling real estate or working retail just to pay the bills and receive health coverage. There are organizations that help older bluesmen, just as there are groups that reach out to troubled former child stars, but by and large the system has failed actors and musicians outside of the top tier.
Of course, this problem is not limited to people in the entertainment industry. I'm not going to get political here because I'm not sure the parties have any of the answers. I certainly don't. It's just that if you don't have insurance, you're a step away from a major catastrophe you may never recover from. Jay and Alex are proof of that. Such tragedies.
Jay developed his injury from a stage dive he did with Titanic Love Affair. He let it linger without health insurance for many, many years. He got insurance late in the game when the hip was already a persistent problem. His insurance company wouldn't cover it as is was already an issue when he started his health insurance. Jay accumulated over 500 guitars and 100 keyboards during the same years that he opted out of buying health insurance. It's a shame, but he made his own choices. A few less guitars, a few less pianos, maybe he could've changed his fate. It is a shame.
shareI guess it made sense to him at the time, just like I grumble about having to pay for something I think I'll never use. Of course, if I ever use it, I'll be very glad I have it. It's too bad Jay didn't.
I hate to sound superficial, but I wonder whatever became of his guitars and keyboards?