RIP Jay Bennett

sonic1974

sonic1974

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Hey guys,

Shitty news out there in the music world today. A great guitarist and producer has left us. Jay Bennett, mostly known for his work on Wilco albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, passed away. He was only 45.

http://pitchfork.com/news/35417-rip-jay-bennett/

Feel really empty about this one. A needlessly tragic story. Wilco fans out there have debating forever if Jay was treated unfairly by the Jeff and the rest of the band. It's not really for me to say, I don't have all the inside information.

Hopefully, he's gone to a better place and is making beautifull music up in the sky. Keep on chasing those songs Jay.

Something I read that he said I'll always remember.

Melody is King.

 
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Heard about that. That's horrible.

The one time I got to see Wilco with Jay still in the band, he was a total wildman on stage.

RIP Jay.

 
That's Horrible.

Wilco is probably my favorite band of all time. I hated it when Jay left. I saw them live in Oxford, MS on the YHF tour and while it was a good show, it wasn't the same without Jay. Anyone who has seen the Wilco movie "I'm Trying to Break Your Heart" knows how good a musician and songwriter he was. In the movie after he had left the band, Jay made the comment "A circle only has one center" which kinda sums it up for me. It was Jeff Tweedy's band, and it seemed both he and Jay were fighting for control. Thanks for the post. Another great one gone at a young age.

 
Yeah, I'm actually pretty upset about this one. It feels weird, it's not like I knew him, but at the same time, the whole story is just so damm sad.

Last I had heard, Jeff Tweedy wouldn't even take a phone call from Bennett. Tweedy is a songwriting hero to me, but I've heard some stories where he comes across as a real asshole.

Still, I try to seperate the music and the personalities. Usually I can do that fairly well. But, I have to admit, with me and Wilco and especially Tweedy, there is still some amount of hero worship. The whole way they treated him after they kicked him out seems so petty. I can understand that they didn't want him in the band anymore..........but after he's gone, what's it gonna hurt to say, "yeah, he was a great guitarist, we just didn't get along".

Ah well, in the end it's about the music. I have to get past my teenage ways and look for role models elsewhere.

In my opinion, Summerteeth, is an overlooked album, one of my favourites, and Bennett is all over that.

I'm going to listen to that when I get home, in honour of Jay.

 
This is sad. I hate to hear about musicians dying while at conflict with other musicians that they created magic with. That movie was something. I always felt for the Jay Bennett "type". Any clues how he died? I'm guessing drugs or heart failure? /emoticons/default_blink.png

Remember the Brad Delp/Boston/Scholz thing?

 
elduave said:
This is sad. I hate to hear about musicians dying while at conflict with other musicians that they created magic with. That movie was something. I always felt for the Jay Bennett "type". Any clues how he died? I'm guessing drugs or heart failure? /emoticons/default_blink.png

Remember the Brad Delp/Boston/Scholz thing?
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I know he was having problems with his health for a long time. I think I heard recently that he was in need of a liver transplant, but I'm not 100% of that.

I haven't heard the exact cause of death, but yes, drugs/booze over the years sure probably didn't help him. I had read in some articles that he was turning it around, but I guess the changes came to late.

As someone who's been sober for close to 2 years now, this story really hits home how important it is that I stay clean.

edit to add: I was mistaken, I thought he needed a liver transplant, but it was hip replacement surgery. Apparently, that's why he brought his recent lawsuit against the band, he needed the cash to pay for the surgery.

 
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Just heard the news, this is so very sad. Been following Jay since he left Wilco. We say Jay & Ed Burch open for someone I don't remember at the Vic in '02 after Palace at 4AM was released. Two scruffy guys smoking too much who sang these complex, heartfelt songs. The both of them together was magic - Jay's rumbly low whiskey voice and Ed sounding like an angel. I was hooked and bought the album right then.

A few months later they played at a local joint in Evanston and I went by myself late at night to catch them. I talked to Jay a bit then and was struck by how glad he was that his music was appreciated. I've got several of his solo albums, which aren't the easiest to hear sometimes, but he would put hs heart & soul into them. Whn I downloaded "Whatever Happened..." I sent him a thank you note on his myspace page, he wrote back thank me. I would be worried about him over the years as success measured in $$ never materialized and I knew he had troubles personal & drink related, but I think he'd been sober for a while now. I will miss him.

And really, if y'all don't have The Palace at 4AM, just get it. I'm bummed, over and out. /emoticons/default_blink.png

 
that sucks man...all the stuff he did on summerteeth really hooked me into the wilco sound. i love everything about nels cline's playing but jay was great and had incredible musical vision. rip buddy....

 
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