Died On This Date (March 6, 2010) Mark Linkous / Sparklehorse
themusicsover Mark Linkous
September 9, 1962 – March 6, 2010
Mark Linkous was the multi-instrumentalist leader of alternative rock group, Sparklehorse, who became an critics’ darling cult band after the release of their debut album, Vivadixiesubmarine- transmissionplot, in 1995. Prior to that, he was a member of the Dancing Hoods, who he co-founded in the mid ’80s. In 1996, while on tour with Radiohead, Linkous overdosed Valium, antidepressants and alcohol, causing him to lay unconscious with his legs pinned underneath him for fourteen hours. He literally died for two minutes when rescuers tried to straighten his legs which had been cut off from circulation for the duration of his unconsciousness. The incident left him with permanent damage to his legs. In 2009, Linkous collaborated on a Dark Night of Soul with famed indie producer Danger Mouse and iconic film director, David Lynch. The multi-media project also includes performance by Flaming Lips, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, Frank Black, Iggy Pop and more. He was recently working on a new album due out in late 2010. On March 6, 2010, Mark Linkous died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 47.
Thanks to Craig Rosen of Number1Albums
What You Should Own
Vic Chesnutt was a respected singer-songwriter from the Athens, Georgia area. Chesnutt began writing songs when he was just five years old. He’s one of those rare talents that was rightfully called a songwriter’s songwriter. When he was 18, Chesnutt was involved in a car accident that left him confined to a wheelchair and in need of medical care through the rest of his life. His big break came in the late ’80s when R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe discovered his talent and produced his first two albums. Over the course of his career, he released over a dozen studio albums. In 1996, artists like Madonna, R.E.M., and the Smashing Pumpkins came together to record his songs for an album that was to help him with his skyrocketing medical bills. Ironically, he wasn’t eligible to collect the funds since he had medical insurance. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to cover the expenses. On December 24, 2009, Vic Chesnutt was reported to have been in a coma following an overdose of muscle relaxants. He died on Christmas Day at the age of 45.
