Mark Lanegan, the singer whose raspy baritone and darkly poetic songwriting made Screaming Timber a necessary a part of the early Seattle grunge scene and introduced him an acclaimed solo profession, died Tuesday at age 57.
"Our beloved pal Mark Lanegan handed away this morning at his house in Killarney, Eire," mentioned a put up on Lanegan's Twitter account, which known as him "a beloved singer, songwriter, writer and musician." Administration firm SKH confirmed the demise for the New York Occasions.
No explanation for demise was given. In a memoir launched final 12 months, Lanegan mentioned a extreme case of COVID-19 left him hospitalized in a coma.
Lanegan by no means noticed main industrial success, however via seven full-length albums with Screaming Timber, 10 solo information and collaborations with Queens of the Stone Age and lots of others, he gained a loyal fan base that included critics and his fellow musicians of a number of generations.
"Mark Lanegan will at all times be etched in my coronary heart - as he absolutely touched so many together with his real self, regardless of the associated fee, true to the top," John Cale of the Velvet Underground mentioned on Twitter.
Iggy Pop tweeted, "Mark Lanegan, RIP, deepest respect for you. Your fan, Iggy Pop."
Lanegan fashioned the Screaming Timber in 1984 in his hometown of Ellensburg, Washington. A drummer at first, he mentioned he was so inept he needed to grow to be a lead singer.
With their mixture of moody pop and a tough rock that leaned into psychedelia, Screaming Timber had been among the many candidates that many thought would break huge from the Seattle grunge scene of the late Eighties and early '90s, although they'd by no means see the widespread reputation of Nirvana and Soundgarden.
Their main label debut for Epic Data, 1990′s "Uncle Anesthesia," was co-produced by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell.
The only "Mattress of Roses" would get them performed on MTV and modern-rock radio.
The Timber' industrial peak got here with 1992′s "Candy Oblivion" and the one "Almost Misplaced You," which stays Lanegan's greatest hit and greatest recognized track, thanks partially to its look on the soundtrack of the Cameron Crowe movie "Singles."
The group would technically stay a unit till 2000, however Lanegan more and more centered on his solo profession in the course of the Nineties, creating music that was quieter, extra bluesy, and extra broody, incomes him the nickname "Darkish Mark."
His voice made him a sought-after collaborator together with his fellow Seattle musicians. He sang on tasks with Alice in Chains' Layne Staley and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready. He recorded a collection of Leadbelly covers with Kurt Cobain. It could by no means be launched, however Cobain would use their association of "The place Did You Sleep Final Evening" in a memorable efficiency on "MTV Unplugged."
Lanegan would lend his voice to 5 albums for Queens of the Stone Age, beginning with their 2000 breakthrough "Rated R."
He made three albums as a duo with Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell and fashioned one other duo, The Gutter Twins, with The Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli.
He and spouse Shelley Brien moved to Killarney in County Kerry, Eire in 2020. He contracted COVID-19 quickly after. He would write about that, his lengthy battle with medication and alcohol and his decade of sobriety within the memoir, "Satan in a Coma."
"Mark Lanegan was a stunning man," tweeted New Order and Pleasure Division bassist Peter Hook, with a photograph of Lanegan becoming a member of him on stage. "He led a wild life that a few of us may solely dream of. He leaves us with unbelievable phrases and music! Thank god that via all of that he'll dwell eternally."