Died On This Date (May 23, 2009) Jay Bennett / Former Member of Wilco
themusicsover Jay Bennett
November 15, 1963 – May 23, 2009
Jay Bennett was an exceptional, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer most famously known for his years in Wilco. Prior to Wilco, Bennett helped found Titanic Love Affair in the early ’90s. He joined Wilco in 1994 and stayed with the group until a less-than-amicable split in 2001. After Wilco, Bennett released a handful of studio albums while appearing on several as an in-demand studio musician. He also produced albums by the likes of Blues Traveler. In May of 2009, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Jeff Tweedy of Wilco claiming, according to Paste Magazine, “Tweedy owes Bennett ‘damages of at least $50,000’ for his time in the band, including his less-than-favorable depiction in the 2002 Wilco documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” Jay Bennett passed away of an accidental overdose from a prescription painkiller on May 23, 2009 . He was just 45.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
What You Should Own
Utah Phillips was a great folk singer, poet and much respected labor organizer. Phillips first picked up a ukulele when he was a child but soon switched to guitar after he moved to Yellowstone Park to work on a road crew. It was there that he was exposed to the music of 
Joe Pass was an exceptional jazz guitarist known for an improvisational style that would influence future generations of players. Pass began playing guitar on his 9th birthday and by the time he turned 14, he was gigging around town. But within a few years, he began to struggle with drug abuse and fell off the radar as a musician. After spending over two years in a drug rehab program, he resurfaced to reclaim his spot at the top of the jazz world. Throughout the ’60s, Pass recorded several albums for the Pacific Jazz label while lending his talents to the likes of 
Slava Giebel was the guitarist for German metal band, StrydegoR. The band formed in 2005. Giebel was killed in a car accident just a couple of weeks before the release of the band’s debut album.
Jimmy Fernandez was the bassist for alterna-metal band, the God Machine. Though formed in San Diego in the early ’90s, the God Machine spent most of their career living in the UK where they had moderate success. Alternative Press called their second album, One Last Laugh In A Place Of Dying one of the “90 Best Albums Of The ’90s.” While recording their third album, Fernandez fell into a coma and later died of what was thought to be a brain tumor. The remaining members of the band decided the couldn’t go on without Fernandez.