RIP Vic Chesnutt, 1964 - 2009
“Other people write about the bling and the booty. I write about the pus and the gnats.
To me, that’s beautiful.” ~ Vic Chesnutt, in the NY Daily News, April 10, 2005
UPDATE: both the New York Times and Constellation Records have now confirmed that Vic Chesnutt passed from this world at 2:59 p.m. today. The below text, originally written when the circumstances of his passing were still in question, has been adapted accordingly. Rest In Peace, Vic.
Sad and conflicted news for a Christmas morning: Athens, GA folk-rocker Vic Chesnutt came close enough to death last night - allegedly as a result of complications after an overdose of muscle relaxants - for supposedly well-informed major media news outlets to report his passing. Many blogs and news sources then rescinded those reports, while sources close to Vic continued to maintain that Chesnutt was still alive, though the circumstances of his hospitalization suggested that, even if he did pull through, he might no longer have been able to perform.
Chesnutt died later this afternoon, surrounded by family and friends.
The well-respected and prolific 45 year old singer-songwriter, left a paraplegic after a car accident in his late teens, was known for his gritty, poignant songwriting, his dark and self-depreciating humor, his quiet, deliberate approach to stagecraft, and his collaborative work with a broad spectrum of fellow artists and admirers, including Widespread Panic, Lambchop, Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, Bill Frisell, R.E.M., Thee Silver Mt. Zion, and Elf Power.
The 1996 Chesnutt tribute album Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, while not folk, remains an essential component of any cover collector’s archive, with star turns from Kristen Hersh, the Indigo Girls, Cracker, Live, Madonna, R.E.M., and other well-known fans. But it’s Vic’s own cathartic and perfectly stunning interpretations of the songs of others which seem most fitting today, in honor of a life well lived, and a muse well served. Our prayers are with him.
- Vic Chesnutt: Buckets of Rain (orig. Bob Dylan)
- Bob Mould and Vic Chesnutt: Hickory Wind (orig. The Byrds)
- Vic Chesnutt and Liz Durrett: Somewhere (orig. from West Side Story)
- Vic Chesnutt: Home On The Range (trad.)
Kristin Hersh offers a beautiful tribute to her best friend Vic.
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December 25th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Wherever he is, I hope he is well.
But if he wanted to leave, and is now stuck here damaged, unable to play, I kind of wish he was with the angels.
December 25th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Ah, that sucks. It was easy to think this morning that if he was brain-damaged to the point that he couldn’t communicate with his loved ones, it might be better if he went quickly, but now that he actually is gone… frack.
I don’t know where he said it, maybe in Musician, maybe Rolling Stone, but here’s a quote of his from about twelve years ago that I always appreciated:
“I’ve always doubted myself, doubted my beliefs, second-guessed my decisions – and it paralyzes me. But it’s either sit in a closet or get out there and do something.”
December 26th, 2009 at 2:30 am
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December 26th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
NPR has a couple of sets with him here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15379433
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I’ve had the Sweet Relief II album for many years now, and have often played songs from it on my radio show (co-op station, I have a covers show). I was deeply saddened to hear the news of his passing, and I’ll be doing a tribute show tonight on my first show of the new year and new season.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Kimberly, if you can post a link to a stream, I’d love to listen in!
January 6th, 2010 at 12:52 am
I just read Amy Rigby’s beautifully-written post about Vic from her blog last week: http://amyrigby.blogspot.com/2009/12/that-lonesome-valley.html