RIP Jay Bennett

Comment by denton fabrics on May 25, 2009 at 5:37am

Sad news. I only knew of him from the Wilco movie, but he seem like such a tragic figure to me.

Comment by Neil Finlayson on May 25, 2009 at 7:31am

Sad news. His contribution to Wilco's music was perhaps never fully appreciated by fans of the group Given the way he and Tweedy split that may have been inevitable.

I hope people will resist the temptation - given the lawsuit - to hang the tragic death of Bennett on Tweedy's shoulders. Having said that it would be fitting at this time for everyone associated with those great albums to put the past behind them and give full credit to Jay for the musical contributions he made to Wilco.

Comment by Paul Cantin on May 25, 2009 at 8:24am

Here's how the otherwise excellent Movie City News website is headlining Jay's death.

Jay Bennett, 45, Former Member Of Wilco, Antagonist In Doc I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

If anyone was wondering how to make this situation even sadder, it would be if Jay were to be remembered not for his musical contributions, but for a couple of scenes in that documentary.

Me? I'll listen to "California Stars" instead.

Comment by Paul Cantin on May 25, 2009 at 8:25am

Comment by Ron Frankl on May 25, 2009 at 8:37am

This is such sad news. I exchanged e-mails with Jay a few times, and he was both friendly and gracious in his messages.

His solo work deserved far greater recognition than it received. He was a masterful songwriter and musician, as well as a distinctive vocalist. This is a guy who should have had a long and productive career, and it's tragic that that won't be the case.

Enough has been written about the circumstances of his departure from Wilco. But I will say that he made a good band a great one, and his reward was to be fired. Now more than ever, it seems incredibly unfair.

Comment by Ron Frankl on May 25, 2009 at 9:16am

One more thought: I was on Jay's weblist, and a few months ago he sent out a message that although he was working on a new CD, he had also recently written and recorded a bunch of songs that had come together fairly quickly and easily, and he wanted to share them with his friends. Entitled "Whatever Happened I Apologize," this downloadable album was one of his strongest recordings, and I recommend getting a copy of it if you haven't heard it. And he made it available to us for free. That's the kind of guy that Jay Bennett was.

Comment by Mars Arizona on May 25, 2009 at 9:49am

"Stories like this underline the desperate need for health reform that, at the very least, includes a public option. The United States needs artists and innovators who work outside the confines of the corporate safety net, and we should not be forcing them to choose between their health and the art that enriches all of our lives." - Daily Kos

Comment by Linda Ray on May 25, 2009 at 11:45am

Here's a link to the whole Daily Kos blog post. Some great video there, too.

Comment by Linda Ray on May 25, 2009 at 12:31pm

(crossposted from the nodepressionaltcountry group)Here's Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune on Jay Bennett. Not much new, but a quote from Jeff Tweedy--an obviously prepared statement. If you're a Wilco fan, and you haven't read Kot's Wilco: Learning How to Die, you should make it priority summer reading. Especially now.

Comment by Ron Frankl on May 25, 2009 at 12:39pm

Kot's book is a good read. Just don't think that you're reading a balanced and unbiased history of the band, and in regard to the section regarding Bennett's departure from the group, it's just one side of the story.

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