Archive for Wilco

There’s a sad conclusion to the death of former Wilco songwriter and instrumentalist Jay Bennett today. Bennett died suddenly on May 24 in Urbana, IL, and after an autopsy, the Champaign County coroner has concluded that the cause of death was an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl. Bennett was taking the medication to treat his chronic hip pain, the result of an old stage injury. He had been awaiting hip-replacement surgery and described his health problems in detail on his MySpace blog just weeks before his death.

Bennett, pictured at left, was a member of Wilco from 1994 until 2001, when he departed after a feud with the band. [Source: Chicago Tribune; Photo: Getty Images]

Jay Bennett, ex-member of the band Wilco, passed away in his sleep on May 24th at the age of 45. The cause of his death is currently unknown, but he had recently suffered health problems, and described being “close to bedridden” on his MySpace blog due to a bad hip that needing replacement surgery.

Bennett and Wilco parted ways after continuous disagreements over the production of the band’s hit album, 2002′s Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, ended with front-man Jeff Tweedy firing Bennett. Their relationship remained strained, and this past month Bennett sued the band for breach of contract, claiming he was due money from royalties from both the album and the documentary film about Wilco, “I Am Trying To Break your Heart.”

In a statement yesterday, Tweedy remembered his former bandmate, saying, “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.” [NY Times/MTV News. Photo: Redferns/GettyImages]