Vic Chesnutt Confirmed Dead From Apparent Suicide

[tekisui]

Source: Spinner

Earlier today, Spinner sadly reported that well-loved and respected singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt was in a coma, following what was largely believed to be a suicide attempt. Sources now confirm that Chesnutt has passed away at the age of 45. San Francisco's Examiner, reports that Chesnutt was proclaimed dead just hours after slipping into a coma.

Entrenched in the Athens, Ga. music scene, Chesnutt was a songwriter's songwriter; he first earned the admiration of R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe in the late '80s and since then was praised by countless other notable songwriters and musicians, many of which eventually collaborated with him. His most recent band included members of Fugazi, Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, but over the years he collaborated with members of Widespread Panic, Cracker, Lambchop, Throwing Muses, M. Ward, Cowboy Junkies and many more.

Chesnutt's national profile was elevated in 1996 when his songs were covered by an impressive list of contributors -- including Madonna, R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins and Garbage -- for a Sweet Relief compilation album that benefited musicians without health insurance. Ironically and tragically, Chesnutt had health insurance and wasn't personally eligible for financial help from Sweet Relief, despite struggling to cover his significant health care costs. A car accident at the age of 18 left Chesnutt in a wheelchair, with a lifetime of complications.

He told Spinner earlier this year that "right now, I am in huge trouble in that the hospital is suing me for $35,000 for payment, which is terrifying -- and the rub is that I have health insurance." His heath care debt reportedly totaled more than $50,000 and his struggles with suicide and substance abuse have been well documented.

more: http://www.spinner.com/2009/12/25/vic-chesnutt-dead/

[peekaloo]

1. omfg.

:-(

[HughBeaumont]

2. RIP. One more unfortunate victim of "The Best Health Care in the World"

Health Care is indeed and apparently a "Privilege" in this country. For the "Privileged", BY the "Privileged".

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Ours is a travesty of a civilization

yet some still seek to kill legislation that would make tragic occurrences like this a thing of the past.

Oh, yes...a shout-out to those who would attempt to suppress news (through unrecs) that shows their ideology in a poor light. It's not gonna work - not now, not ever. Go burn a book, why dontcha!

[cherokeeprogressive]

26. There will NEVER make "tragic occurences" like this a thing of the past.

Never.

As a person who has attempted suicide, I can say that there could never be a law, a program, or a preventitive measure that could stop someone who was convinced that suicide would stop the pain they were feeling from stopping them from attempting to check out.

Tried it. Got lucky. Here I am.

[DemoTex]

4. Vic Chessnutt was raised 10 miles from my hometown.

Vic was raised in Zebulon, Georgia, in Pike County.

RIP Vic

[jefferson_dem]

5. Very sad.

A great loss for music. Chestnutt was the genuine article.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. But the President says that his Insurance Company deserves

that money. So the death of a genius, that is a small price to pay for justice to those who deserve their profits. This is the Obama way. This is it. They deserve to sue him, to take from him, and they wil attach his estate and future royalties to get it.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I am sick of this shit

When guidelines were announced recently that allow 'constructive criticism' of Democrats, I'm pretty sure this isn't what they had in mind. It's absolute bullshit.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Tell you what, that is a quote from Obama

I am a 48 year old artist, no longer able to practiced due to disability. When people so close to my own life kill themselves, it strikes a chord in me. Does that surprise you? The President's words have power and meaning, and if you can not bear to read what he actually said, then no wonder our best and brightest are put down the memory hole to serve the silence.
Are you in charge here? Are those guidelines your own? If so, enforce them. If not, put down the false color of authority and speak to the point. Are you claiming Obama did not say the Insurance Companies deserve to profit? What are you claiming? That you are the owner of DU, or the one who judges for them?
Can you stand as your own self and counter what I have said, as opposed to pulling some lecturing high horse routine? Or not?
Did he not say Insurance Companies deserve to profit? Do you not know that artist's royalties go on after death, and that the Company will take that money, with glee, now that he's dead? Do you deny that this is the case? Do you have a point, other than not liking my point?
Venom does not cut it.

[Cirque du So-What]

11. Is Barack Obama responsible for creating the system that precipitated Chesnutt's suicide?

NO.

Will this bill reduce the likelihood that people will consider suicide to make mounting medical bills go away?

YES.

Other than that, I've got nuttin' for ya, other than suggest that you cast your lot with the repigs, which you are in fact doing when you denigrate Democratic leadership.

I'd like to see the quote to which you refer. I despise it when a handful of words are taken out of context and twisted to fit an individual agenda...especially when they're bandied about without attribution.

[BeatleBoot]

13. + 10,000

You called it quite accurately: "bullshit"

[carolinayellowdog]

8. Terri Gross interviewed him for Fresh Air early this month

Health care was a topic of conversation:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120978388

Rest in peace.

[Karenina]

18. The meat of the matter starts at 30:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=120978388&m=120986603

[civildisoBDence]

10. This should be about Vic, not politics

I hope we can remember him without exploiting his death for political points.

DailyKos has the headline, "Vic Chesnutt Commits Suicide Because Hospital Sued Him."

It's enough to make you cynical...

Merry Christmas from Athens.

[HillbillyBob]

14. It seems that politics is or was a big part of his health care problems

I am someone on disability and I had to lose my job then my home, then my car that I only owed 4 more payments(making it nearly impossible to get another job), plus I had to cash out my retirement to pay the hospital bills. I had to live on the streets for almost two years because I was too sick to work, but could not get any real help till I was in the hospital for pneumonia from living outside, that was the second time I had pneumonia, once you have had it once it seems that it is very easy to get again.

It seems the real political bs is from the rpigs who have profited politically from twisting the truth about health care and the hellth insurance scam.

Rest in Peace Mr Chesnutt.

[bullwinkle428]

20. I didn't realize we were required to play CYA on behalf of all corporations

as part of the DU rulebook.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. I would suggest re-posting this in the lounge if you want that

GD is a political forum and thus anything posted in here is fair game for politics. As much as I'm not wild about turning this thread into another place to rant about Obama and health care, people are certainly within their rights to do so and posting this in GD was just asking for it.

[RetroLounge]

12. If only his healthcare would have been mandated.

Best healthcare in the world, my ass...

RL

[SoCalDem]

15. This time of year is especially hard for people with depression

or in ill health. The media hype is such that anyone who is not gleefully shopping for their huge circle of loving family & friends, or having a Norman Rockwell/Waltons' Christmas, can easily feel that their own existence is futile, unnecessary and too psychically painful to endure.

Throw in money problems and it's easy to see why so many people just give up:(

[xchrom]

16. May peace be with his family and friends. Nt

[Stephanie]

17. It sounds like he's alive, in a coma

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/25/vic-chesnutt-cult-singer-songwriter-is-in-a-coma/

DECEMBER 25, 2009, 10:58 AM ET
Vic Chesnutt, Cult Singer-Songwriter, Is in a Coma

--snip--

Chesnutt’s publicist, Joe Cohen, said via email today that “Vic is in the middle of a medical situation and his family and friends are with him. We have no comment on the specifics right now but we will issue a full statement at an appropriate time.”

“There is no truth to the rumour that Vic has died,” said Don Wilkie, co-founder of Constellation, addressing rumors on the Web. “He remains alive.”

The Spin article at your link doesn't include the update that you cite. Maybe they took it down after finding out it was erroneous.

[Karenina]

19. If he regains consciousness, I wonder how pissed he'll be...

at his own ineptitude. He's made many previous attempts.

Food for thought. Message in a Bottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObL3L6MRvN4&feature=related

[Tutankhamun]

21. Wow! I hope he pulls out of it.

I also hope his suicide attempt was something akin to an overdose, rather than a gunshot. My point is I hope it was something that doesn't leave him mangled.

[tekisui]

23. Hopefully he isn't suffering where ever he is.

[mike_c]

22. damn, I remember Vic from my time in Athens....

Damn. :cry:

[gmoney]

24. Vic also appeared in the film "Sling Blade"

As part of Dwight Yoakam's character's band that played (poorly) on the makeshift stage in the backyard.

You'd think that Dwight or Billy Bob could have helped Vic out... I'm guessing Billy Bob makes $50K a month in residuals from "Sling Blade" alone.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. his label confirms that he's dead

a huge loss.
i just saw him live a few months ago at an npr taping with neko case and he was as phenomenal as ever

[piedmont]

28. Vic on health care: "There's nowhere else in the world that I'd be facing the situation I'm in ...

"There's nowhere else in the world that I'd be facing the situation I'm in right now. They cannot understand what kind of society would inflict that on their population," he said. "It's terrifying."