Chicago rocker and former member of Wilco (he was with the group from 1994 through 2001), Jay Bennett, died on Sunday, May 24 of undetermined causes. The multi-instrumentalist and singer was only 45 years old.
A friend and collaborator of Bennett’s, Edward Burch made a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times:
“Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed. The family is in mourning and is unavailable for comment at this time…He was an extremely talented musician and a great person, and I’ll miss him terribly.”
Wilco are on tour in Spain, but a spokesperson for the band passed along a statement from bandleader Jeff Tweedy:
"We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him -- as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."
Bennett was born on November 15, 1963 in the Chicago suburb of Rolling Hills and began playing in bands as a teenager. He was a graduate of the University Of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned multiple degrees in secondary education, math and political science. While in college in the late 1980’s, he co-founded the Replacements-like power pop band Titanic Love Affair, which cut three albums in the heyday of alternative rock between 1991 and 1996; before being dropped from the record label.
Bennett was employed at a VCR repair shop in Champaign, Illinois when he was approached to join up with Wilco as the group began to tour to support their debut LP “A.M.” He made his studio debut with the band in 1996 with the LP “Being There.” Bennett was a very talented and accomplished musician who played an eclectic variety of instruments from the mandolin to the mellotron.
He formed a unique bond with Wilco’s bandleader Jeff Tweedy and his contributions over a seven-year period he was with the group were key to the albums that resulted in the band's national breakthrough, including "Being There" (1996), "Summerteeth" (1999) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002).
However, conflicts between Jeff Tweedy and Bennett that would contribute to Bennett's split with Wilco are visible in the Sam Jones film “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco.”
After leaving Wilco, Bennett released five solo albums. The first, entitled "The Palace at 4am,” was collaboration with Champaign musician and friend Edward Burch. In 2004, Bennett released the LP "Bigger than Blue," which is a more stripped-down set of personal songs. In that same year he released "The Beloved Enemy," which saw him explore his personal turmoil in even more intimate detail. Bennett's forth release, "The Magnificent Defeat," was released in September of 2006. He then released "Whatever Happened I Apologize" in November of 2008 on rockproper.com. Additionally, Bennett had been working on a sixth record, tentatively titled "Kicking at the Perfumed Air," but it is unclear whether that record will see release posthumously.
In addition to his well-regarded work with Wilco and as a solo performer, Bennett was also a highly-regarded and sought-after studio talent, having performed on albums by Sheryl Crow, Allison Moorer, Garrison Starr, Jellyfish, Tim Easton, Tommy Keene, Blues Traveler and Billy Joe Shaver (among others). Bennett also produced the Blues Traveler's 2005 release, “¡Bastardos!”
In late April, Bennett wrote on his MySpace blog about dealing with intense pain from a hip injury suffered during a dive from the stage while playing with Titanic Love Affair. He was preparing to have surgery, but was concerned about his lack of health insurance. In May of this year, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Tweedy for breach of contract and unpaid artist's royalties, stemming in part from his role in the film.
"This whole experience [with the hip pain] has really taught me to look both inward and outward for support, and I've learned things about myself that I thought I had completely figured out years ago," Bennett wrote. "Family and friends have helped me to keep faith in a future that will actually be much more carefree than my constricted present state. I encourage you all to tell me stories of recovery, as they really do help... All in all, I'm 'in a really good place' right now; I'm just waiting until I can make it all happen."
Jay Bennett will be missed by millions of fans, who not only loved his music, but his personality as well.
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