Former Wilco Member Jay Bennett Died Of Accidental Overdose

A Champaign County Coroner ruled that the death of former Wilco member Jay Bennett was caused by an accidental overdose of pain killer fentanyl, the Chicago Tribute reports. As Rock Daily previously reported, Bennett was found unresponsive in his home in Urbana, Illinois, on May 24th. Prior to his death, Bennett wrote on his MySpace page that he suffered a serious hip injury and that because he lacked health insurance, he was unable to have a necessary operation. Bennett, who left Wilco in 2001 after feuding with Jeff Tweedy during the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (as documented in the film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart), sued his former bandmates in early May, claiming he was owed royalties from his tenure in the band. Bennett was 45.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter