Former Wilco member, Jay Bennett, died in sleep last night
Jay Bennett, a former member of Wilco, passed away last night in his sleep. He was 45. I never really did follow Jay after he left Wilco, but I can definitely say with confidence that he was one of the major talents of Wilco. I always thought a little something was missing after Yankee Foxtrot Hotel.
Jay was a prominent member of Wilco from the beginning in 1994 to 2001, starting off as the guitarist, gradually moving into a multi-instrumentalist role, and then up next to Jeff Tweedy as his writing partner. Jay left the band after the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot due to some problems between Jeff Tweedy and himself. I personally haven’t seen it, but his leaving is documented in I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, a making-of documentary of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Just this month, Jay sued Jeff Tweedy, claiming that he was owed royalties for his work in the band and in the film.
After leaving Wilco, Jay released five albums. His last album, Whatever Happened I Apologize, was released in November 2008. You can download it digitally for free at the label’s official site.
I hope this post does justice to Jay, who was such a dedicated musician. Thought it would be nice to share some of tunes off of Jay’s newest album, and one of my favourite Wilco songs of all time that Jay had primary contribution to: “Jesus, etc.” Although I didn’t follow him much after Wilco, he definitely made an impact on the band and their music–and an impact on Wilco fans. I’m appreciative of the fact that he was so committed to the band, because without him, Wilco probably wouldn’t be where they are in my heart today.
MP3s:
Wilco – Jesus, etc.
Jay Bennett – Little Blue Pills
Jay Bennett – The Engines Are Idle
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