Ex-Wilco member dies at 45

We'll miss you Jay. Thanks for all you've done for music.

I have enjoyed Wilco's music over the years and none of it could have been possible without his contribution. He was a talented man.

I hope he is at peace.

[...] From blogs.CNN.com [...]

Rest in peace, Jay. You made some great music that inspired and enlightened us all.

We'll miss you Jay.

Thank you Jay...your music was incredible and it will live on.

I'm sorry someone died, but I've never heard of Wilco. Did they have a top hit? I looked up Summerteeth – never heard of it. Looks like they had one 500k sales record. I know of no one who would have bought it.

Sorry the guy died, but I think I should start a band so I can get my name on CNN when I die.

I grew up listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Summerteeth, so this is a huge shock to me. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" or "Can't Stand It" were masterpieces. At least he's in a better place now. Rest in peace, Jay.

Thanks for the good times, Jay. Rest easy.

We'll miss you and your great talents Jay. Rest in peace.

Living in Colorado at the time the first album came out, it enhanced my time in the mountains : )

Wonderful musician, good memories of his music.
Appreciative listener,
Mare

Never heard of Wilco.

my heart goes out to the members of wilco who will have alot harder time dealing with this than i can imagine.

Tragic – an amazing talent. Wilco has been in a steady decline since he left...

Terribly sad. He was a talent that was a diamond in a world of sand.

Co-architect of history's best album: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

"Tall buildings shake,
Voices escape singing sad sad songs,
Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks,
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around."

Thank you for the music, Jay.

That's sad. He didnt have the health insurance or the funds to live well. he need a hip surgery..
He injured his hip jumping off stage. He was suing wilco so he could pay for his operation.
A talented and gifted musician. Will be missed..

How much of a narcissistic, self-serving idiot do you have to be to read this story and have your only reaction be: 'Gee, I haven't heard of them... why should I care?'

And yet people are doing that exact thing here.

Keep that type of garbage to yourself.

if you don't know who Wilco is, why read the article and why comment?

I'm sorry for the loss of such a talent. I'm sorry to those who haven't had an opportunity to experience wilco; one of the most talented bands of our time; you should.

A true talent behind some of the greatest records of the last 15 years. By the way, just because someone attuned to the mainstream hasn't heard of a group doesn't mean that group doesn't have merit. The purveyors of 'pop' music radio stations limit their audience to a small, small percentage of the music available, and I am sure when Britney Spears and her ilk do something then you can commiserate with the 'pop' crowd about it.

Wilco. Greatest American rock'n'roll band working today. Jay's talent won't be forgotten. RIP

For those of you who have never heard of Wico, do yourself a favor and buy "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and quit listening to Fall Out Boy and Nickelback.

"Sorry the guy died, but I think I should start a band so I can get my name on CNN when I die."

Or maybe you can just keep listening to American Idol winners and Britney Spears, or whatever other non-talents sell CDs by the truckload nowadays. Album sales don't always match an artists level of influence.

@Whoisit

The fact that you have never heard of Wilco says more about you than the band. Maybe you should expand your music tastes a bit before disparaging the memory of a great musician simply because you have never bothered to look beyond the walls of your insular little world.

To one of the person who made the comment about not knowing about Wilco, that's fine but you shouldn't criticize a band for not having a pop hit. The best music is almost never popular. That's really not the point of this article anyway. Show some respect. Anyway, Jay Bennett was an amazing musician and he will certainly be missed by me. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a masterpiece. 45 is way too young to die.

You were an amazing artist and will be missed, Jay. Rest In Peace

It's too bad ignorance shows up on comments all across the web. Wilco is and was a band with Jay Bennett that transcended style and commercialism. To boil down their career as a band who has never sold more than 500K in records is a dishonor to Jay and the band, who is very popular, but not popular enough with the Pink Floyd, Nickelback dissenters who posted here. I can agree that Jay dying maybe somewhat obscure, but my god not knowing of the band at all, even in passing is somewhat odd

My family and I love Wilco, America's best band, and are saddened to hear of Jay Bennett's death.

He wasn't the entire force behind Wilco, but had a significant influence on them. It makes you wonder if he ever really recovered from being fired from the band. It is just sad for everyone involved.

A life taken too early. Loved the Wilco albums he worked on. Bennett was amazingly talented.

Jay rules. Tweedy-Dum drools. R.I.P.

To all the ones who haven't heard of Wilco, you missed out and there is no need for you to post on here. Just wait for your beloved Nickelback to kick. In the meantime, this is a huge loss. I have said all along that Wilco was never the same after he left and in my opinion never as enjoyable. I met Jay when they played Tree's in Dallas on the being there tour and again in New Orleans at the house of blues on summerteeth tour (he called whiskytown "eagles-lite", hahaha.) But both times he was the most approachable one and appreciative of the fans. Love Jeff, but he can be moody. I was a fan since the Titanic Love Affair days. Well rest in peace brother. I am truly saddened by this news.

Doug

Whoisit: do you live under a commercial rock? my wish for you is to realize how idiotic and depressing (and not funny or wry) your comment is, and why.

Its really sad to me that Jay was essentially villainized in the documentary "I am Trying to break Your Heart." Obviously there was falling out, but you could tell the movie went out of its way to try and show that Jay was in the wrong. Maybe that was indeed the case, but we cant know for sure since obviously Jeff had some control over the documentary and Jay did not. Jay Bennet really got a raw deal after being a main contributor to some of Wilco's best material. I can't believe he wasnt getting royalties. Poor Places will always be on of my favorite songs, a Jay Bennet creation. R.I.P.

You will be sorely missed!! Yankee Hotel Foxtrot made the summer after my junior year in high school that much more memorable, practically a soundtrack for it.

I can't beleive theres people on here that dont know Wilco. crazy. if you don't know then don't post enough people have responded to that already so I won't go on. But seriously my grandma knows who Wilco is.

Loved his contributions to Wilco, but what I'll always remember was seeing Jay live at Maxwell's in Hoboken. At the end of his set, in a wholly genuine way he profusely thanked the audience for its attentiveness. He so clearly appreciated the audience for listening to him play and sing; that appreciation is something pretty unique in the stylistically jaded indie rock world.

His charisma was clear when he was on stage,.......maybe his communication skills needed nurtured, but his talent is on film and record for all to enjoy for eternity.

I don't need to own any other WIlco record after his work on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

A truly amazing talent gone at such a young age.

I'm sorry for his fmaily and close business partners.

J

to 'WHOISIT'

best of luck starting your own band so you get mentioned on CNN when you die. Just be sure to do the following: build a world wide fan base, stay relevant in an ever changing 'pop' culture media world for over 15 years, get nominated for 4 Grammy awards (and then win at least 2 of them), release 6 studio album plus a slew of live albums and documentaries, and have immeasurable influence on a rising generation of musicians and fans.

once you accomplish all of that I think CNN will gladly pay you respect. Until then have some decency and realize that, just because you have never heard of a band, does not mean they are not worthy of mention on this site or anywhere else. Come down off of your top 40 cloud and realize that a band doesn't need a 'hit' to be successful. In fact, many artists who avoid the mainstream have much longer and healthier careers.

RIP Jay.

Saw wilco perform many, many times with and without Jay, but the best shows were with him. I'll never foget them playing at Cooper River State Park in NJ. The stage wasn't set up for them to play after dark, but the guys played til you could only see their silhouettes (and Jay's lighted cigarette.) RIP

A truly sad loss in the music world. I still ponder whether or not Wilco is as good of a band since he "left" during YHF. Peaces, Jeff...you are and will be missed by many.

I'm sadden by the news. Jay was a talented guitarist/musician. I will always remember for the hot guitar licks on Wilco's version of "100 years From Now".

If you haven't heard of Wilco that's your own fault. Any true music fan knows them.

I was very shocked and saddened to read this news today. For those that had the opportunity to see him play live, he was great. He put his heart and soul out there on stage and blew us away with his hard-rocking solos on Being There, melodies on SummerTeeth and innovation on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. He will stay with us through this great gift of music for decades to come. RIP Jay.

Rest easy big guy. No more pain.

Wilco is a horrible band and Bennett is now free of that embarrassment.

They played in Minnesota a lot during my college days/daze. Sorry to hear the news. Not everyone one has heard of Wilco but they had a good run with a lot of loyal fans....mostly college types.

@whoisit: so, because you've never heard of the particular band, the death of amember is not newsworthy? Wilco has been around since the early 90s and has many avid followers, even if they are slightly below the maintsream music radar. Wilco's albums from AM through Yankee Hotel are their best, and this is sad news. Regardless of any legal difficulties that came later, Bennett contributed to some great music that will continue to make people happy for many years.

As Wilco said in a great post-Bennett song:
"The best band will never get signed
K-Settes starring Butcher's Blind
Are so good, you won't ever know
They never even played a show
You can't hear 'em on the radio."

Just because you never heard of them means nothing. Expand your horizons. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot definitely one of the top 10 in my collection.

So sorry to hear about Jay.... what a loss of a young talent. My condolences to his family and friends.

To all you babbling pos(t)ers who have never heard of Wilco - do yourselves a favor and buy an album.

If you have no interest in doing so, STFU and keep your lame comments to yourself.

To those of you who have never heard of Wilco, you owe it to yourself to check them out. No, they aren't as big as Michael Jackson, but they are far better than the big names today. Record sales says nothing about talent. And Wilco has a very devoted following.

RIP, Jeff Bennett. I know you are at peace. I hope those you left behind will be able to find peace as well.

lyleleander hits the nail on the head.

Wiclo was a great band, and anyone who hasn't heard of them has no business expressing their views here.

The comments of whoisit? and Roger are incredibly ignorant and pathetic. Crawl back under your rocks, you two f'n morons.

So sad. Wilco is easily on my top 5 list- every album is great to listen to all the way through. Can't say that for many other artists. Jay Bennett was an amazing musician. My thoughts are with his friends and family during this hard time.

Of course I meant Wilco, and I should not have used the past tense in describing the band, regardless of my personal opinion.

I saw Jay on Wilco's AM tour in Cincinnati and that show changed my life. Rest in peace.

Thanks for the music ...

Roger, Wilco, Over and Out!

For those of you who have never heard of Wilco: you haven't heard of them because you don't know what good music is. Wilco's music is much too intelligent, progressive, and advanced for most people. Jay's loss is a sad one. We'll miss you.

I'm very sorry to hear this. After discovering Wilco via Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I listened to their other albums and was blown away by how good, and moving, their music was (and is).

They MEANT what they sang about, and helped me find and enjoy a spirit of Americana that was free of snark and nastiness and prada and fundies.

Very sad. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Jay was a serious talent. God only knows what Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would have sounded like without him. RIP friend.

RIP Jay. You were a huge part of the soul of the best band out there. Being There & Summerteeth are as good as music gets. Your sound & spirit live on

@Whoisit – don't fret, I am sure CNN will keep you informed about when Toby Keith dies.

So Bizzarre, I just listened to a few tracks on Summerteeth before opening CNN and reading this. Wilco changed my view on music, and for someone in their late 30's with a musical history that can be hard to do. Bennet's work stood out a lot for me and I prefer Tweedy's work with him. Rest in Peace

THANK YOU cnn for posting this.

may he rest in peace...

Wil-who?

Our society is in big trouble when idiots feel compelled to leave comments such as those I've read attached to this story. Whatever happened to "if you don't have something nice to say keep your mouth shut". Must have been raised by wolves in the wild.

He inspired alot of my grafitti and artwork, he will be greatly missed and appreciated.......

@whoisit: Yeah, my crackhead neighbor on welfare who listens to Britney Spears all day doesn't know who Wilco is either, so you are in "good" company.

Never ever heard of "Wilco" lol

To those who haven't heard of Wilco because they never had a top-50 hit.......

Have you ever heard of the Grateful Dead ? I think that they only had one
hit.

Rather than make stupid remarks , try googling the band and take a listen, you might like the tunes.

Folks like Roger and Whoisit are mean spirited irritants whose own lives will be and have been unmemorable and whose deaths will go unnoticed and unmourned.

Jay was a key force in Wilco and a talented musician. His death saddens us all and lessens the quality of our lives.

Whoisit: Your ignorance is showing. Jackass.

sad to hear...we LOVE Wilco...going to see them in 2 weeks in Cincy...

for those who have negative comments or have never heard of them – open your minds for GREAT music, not top 10 pop hits, which rarely are good songs....

@Whoisit

The fact that you have never heard of Wilco says more about you than the band. Maybe you should expand your music tastes a bit before disparaging the memory of a great musician simply because you have never bothered to look beyond the walls of your insular little world.

[...] According to news reports, Jay Bennett, the multi-instrumentalist and producer who was a part of the band Wilco for many years, has died. He was 45. He died in his sleep, according to friend Edward Burch. Ex-Wilco member dies at 45 – The Marquee Blog – CNN.com Blogs [...]

[...] Jay Bennett of Wilco Ex-Wilco member dies at 45 – The Marquee Blog – CNN.com Blogs ;_; [...]

Go back to sleep now
My darlin
And I'll keep all the bad dreams away
Breathe now, think sweet things
And I'll think of all the right words to say

RIP, Jay. Thanks for the music.

Jay and his musical talents will be sadly missed. The reason I became a Wilco fan is due in part to his creative gifts and vision.

Rest in peace man. Wilco is worth checking out. Start with "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"...great album.

RIP and God-speed Jay!

I was just thinking about "Summerteeth" & "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" yesterday...two albums that have meant more to me than almost any others. Jay will be deeply missed & Wilco is still an awesome band. If you get the chance to see them live...go! They are still amazing.

Best live shows I ever saw were Wilco with Bennett. Bennett on record was great, Bennett live was magic. I remember seeing a clip of Roger McGuinn on TV playing "Mr Spaceman" with Wilco backing him; after a particularly amazing solo, McGuinn turns to the camera, in awe of what has just transpired, and says "Great band!"

Wow! – dissing "the Floyd" and lumping them with Nickleback in the wake of another musicians (persons) death – what a bunch of Larrys.

@J Kempton: well said! Will you be my lawyer?

Has anyone ever looked at the argument between Jay and Tweedy over the lead-in to Heavy Metal Drummer and thought "Jay was right"? I never had before this day, but looking back, I think it might have played slightly better with the one beat gap.

RIP Jay

What a shock....I owned A.M and Being there and didn't really discover Jay until the movie came out. It was obvious that Jay was a real talented musician... I bought his CD with Edward Burch and thats when I was really impressed...the songs had great lyrics ( a rarity these days) and were so well produced it was a pity that like many other great artists he died without being recognized in the way he deserves. Jay was the kind of musician that will continue to influence other musicians for many years to come. With Jay you could see a musician who is just being born now discovering his music in 15 years and being influenced by it and creating something great the same could not be said of the redundant gruel being spewed out of the music machine right now.
Being great has nothing to do with how many "Units" you sold but by the talent, influence and joy you bring to people.

Jay you were great...it is sad to have to write this

one of the best and most influential bands of any era. you will be missed Jay. also, i'm proud of all of those who have left comments regarding "whoisit".... here's to hoping that one day he'll finally hear a wilco record and get it.

Thank you for the music Jay. May you rest peacefully...and join the ultimate band!

jay bennet, thank you and rest in peace. to those who are of the ignorant sect, please stay that way. stay ignorant and hateful and tactless and clueless about the things you speak your mind on, it helps "us" keep track of fuckheads like you and your ignorance is always so ridiculously obvious that it allows the true fans and followers a punching bag to help relieve our own genuine grief. I know I'm late to the party but thank you so much to the people who care. i haven't felt this horrible since kurt vonnegut died.

the tension between tweedy & bennett produced the best music of our generation.

I didnt know he wrote Poor Places. One of my most favorite songs of all time.

Jay also owned a small recording studio called Pieholden studios outside of Chicago. I had a chance to meet him when my band recorded there. He was a very gracious and friendly guy. My condolences to his friends and family.

Thanks for the wonderful music with a variety of other artists besides Wilco...

Steve Pride and his Blood Kin
Titanic Love Affair
The Moon Seven Times
solo recordings with Edward Burch
guitar on Shotgun Weddings – Big World of Fun.

You will be missed and thank you for all the fabulous musical memories.

I saw Wilco for the first time in Chicago during their Summerteeth tour, and they were terrific, rocking the joint with infectious energy. I saw Wilco again during the A Ghost is Born tour (without Jay) and their sound was very different, and you could have driven a truck through the hole that Jay's absence left in that band. It was so noticeable and distracting. Wilco has since added Nels Cline to the lineup, and he's a great musician–but it's a different band now. Those of us with memories of how it used to be know what I'm talking about.

We appreciate what Jay Bennett brought to Wilco, the joy Wilco brought to us. R.I.P., Jay, and thanks for the music.

I wonder if J. Bennett will have the staying power of one W. A. Mozart who died 11 yrs younger than he. Time will tell.

While usually not up to date on current musicians, I do know Wilco! I saw them in concert when they were touring for YHF (2003?), when I still lived in Mpls. It was an amazing concert! My condolences to his family and friends.