Rich Jacovina of Silent Majority has passed away

Rich Jacovina, the guitarist for Silent Majority, has passed away at age 49. The band released a statement on Instagram which reads,

“Rest In Power - Richard W. Jacovina 1974-2023. ‘Fuck Their Expectations’”

. Kill Your Idols also paid tribute to Jacovina, writing on Facebook,

“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Rich Jacovina. LIHC would not be what it is without Silent Majority. We shared many stages, the road, and have many lovely memories. So Glad to have been a part of this journey with you. Rest in Peace, brother”.

We send our condolences to Rich Jacovina’s family, friends, and fans.

Dix Denney of the Weirdos has passed away

Sadly, Dix Denney of The Weirdos has passed away. Denney founded the band with his brother John in 1975 and are considered one of the most important LA punk bands of all time. The band released the iconic Destroy All Music and We've got the neuton bomb eps in the late '70s. You can hear some of Dix's groundbreaking guitar work below.

Iconic producer SPOT has passed away

Sadly, Spot, real name Glen Lockett, has passed away. He was 72. Spot had health issues since 2021 and suffered a stroke about three months ago. As you know, Spot produced many, many landmark albums, including Damaged, Earth AD, Milo Goes to College and many, many more. We send our condolences to Spots family, friends, and fans.

Jae Monroe of A.P.P.L.E. has passed away

Jae Monroe, founding member and lead vocalist of New York anarcho peace punks A.P.P.L.E. and Word Made Flesh, has passed away. Her passing was announced in a post on Instagram made by her partner Chuck Garrido which reads,

Hello to all fans of (A).P.P.L(E). the band, to the many long time friends , new friends, supportive fans, political activists, and most importantly to all persons who simply found it easy to talk with Jae about any topic one desired this due to her extreme extroversion, high empathy, and high creativity.

As the man in her life for close to 29 years. I am completely ripped to pieces. I love her more than words can say, her politics and high intelligence often made others pale in comparison with any concepts they felt to be at the top of their priorities. I think of all the things that we experienced together and I break down and cry further. Jae turned me on to so many things, concepts, alternative methods, appreciation for art, psychology, opera, and the list is endless.. Her family made me feel as if I mattered especially when the broken down family that I came from when put to the test, easily crumbled underfoot; unable to serve a purpose to us both as a long term couple in love or as young musicians looking to somehow change our lives due to our passion for music and take no prisoners approach in a military type fashion ala The Ramones.

Jae passed away on 2/27/23, I had to receive emergency surgery over the weekend and was informed by local police while in the hospital…. It still somehow does not feel real at all. I will know more on what the cause of death was but this data will not be readily available for at least 8 weeks if not more.

I will begin on the creative endeavors that Jae always wanted to get published. I LOVE YOU JAE - WE ALMOST LASTED 30 YEARS TOGETHER!!! I WILL ALWAYS FIGHT TO KEEP YOUR IDEAS, NARRATIVE, IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE AND HIGH VALUE ALIVE IN THIS WORLD AND TO NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

I hope I can keep my own courage alive in the world without you by my side. I'll always love you Jeanette Monroe.”

We send our condolences to Jae Monroe’s family, friends, and fans.

Akira Tsuneoka of Hi-STANDARD has passed away

Akira Tsuneoka, founding member of and drummer for Japanese punk band Hi-STANDARD, has passed away. He was 51 years old. The band announced his passing in a statement on Facebook which reads,

”Dear fans and friends,

With deep and profound sadness, we inform you of the untimely passing of our beloved friend and drummer Akria Tsuneoka of Hi-STANDARD. His music and spirit will live on in our hearts. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and the members of Hi-STANDARD during this difficult time.”

Akira Tsuneoka formed the band in 1991 along with Akihiro Nanba and Ken Yokoyama. Hi-STANDARD released five albums during their run, the last of which was The Gift. In 2017. We send our condolences to Akira Tsuneoka’s family, friends, and fans.

Tom Verlaine of Television has passed away

Tom Verlaine, the singer, and guitarist for Television, has passed away. He was 73 and died in New York City following a brief illness on January 28. Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Patti Smith, announced his passing in a statement that reads,

”He died peacefully in New York City surrounded by close friends. His vision and his imagination will be missed.”

Television released three studio albums and a handful of live albums, the most notable being 1977's Marquee Moon . Tom Verlaine released nine solo albums (not including a compilation album) the last of which was Around in 2006. We send our condolences to Tom Verlaine’s family, friends, and fans.

Jeremiah Green, founding drummer of Modest Mouse, has passed away

Jeremiah Green, the founding drummer of Modest Mouse, has passed away. He was 45 years old and passed on December 31. He was battling stage four cancer. A statement shared by the band on social media reads,

”I don’t know a way to ease into
this: Today we lost our dear friend
Jeremiah. 
He laid down to rest
and simply faded out.
I’d like to say a bunch of pretty words right now, but it just isn’t the time. These will come later, and from many people. Please appreciate all the love you give,get, have given, and will get. 
Above all, Jeremiah was about love.

We love you.

He formed Modest Mouse along with singer Isaac Brock in 1993 and played with the band until 2003. He returned to the band in 2004. Modest Mouse released their album The Golden Casket in 2021. We send our condolences to Jeremiah Green’s family, friends, and fans.

Vivienne Westwood has passed away

Punk fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has passed away. She was 81 and passed away in her home in London on Thursday, December 29. A statement released on her official Instagram page reads,

”29th December 2022. Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London.

Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better. She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.

Vivienne considered herself a Taoist. She wrote, “Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you’re living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth.”

The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better.

We send our condolences to Vivienne Westwood’s family and friends.

Terry Hall of the Specials has passed away

sadly, Terry Hall of the specials has passed away. He was 63. The cause of death was an unspecified illness. The band issued a statement:

"Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… the joy, the pain, the humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity."

Jet Black, founding drummer of The Stranglers, has passed away

Jet Black (aka Brian Duffy), drummer and founding member of The Stranglers, has passed away. He was 84 years old and passed away at his home in Wales on December 6 following “years of ill health”. The band announced his passing in a statement that reads In part,

”It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear friend, colleague and band elder statesman Jet Black. Jet died peacefully at home surrounded by his family. Fond adieu, fly straight JB.x”

The Stranglers formed in 1974 and Jet Black retired from performing live with the band in 2015 due to declining health. He played on 19 out of 20 Stranglers albums with the last one he played on being 2012’s Giants. We send our condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Read tributes from the band members below.