Vic Chesnutt, RIP

sounds like his close peeps really love(d) him.. RIP.

rip vic. hope you find that peace that's eluded you for so long. i'm feeling really bittersweet about the life-affirming/changing house concert i witnessed in november.

so sad

A remarkable artist - thank you for sharing your talent Vic.

The RIP may be premature--there is no reliable news that he's dead, although the situation looks very serious. The only thing we know for sure is that he is in a coma and it doesn't look good. The reports that he is dead are all based on a blog post that was taken down. Matador records posted a Twitter link to the blog post and said he was dead and now it has spread all over. It's totally unconfirmed. Weird to see how one story can spread all over, with no real facts behind it.

Ah, I see you also linked to the now-taken-down post. You might want to change your post.

post updated.

v responsible, thanks

Pitchfork, Spinner and Examiner all still say he is dead.

they all reference the examiner.com article...which is hardly a reliable source...still wondering

why did he try to commit suicide

Update states he has indeed passed away- http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/vic-chesnutt-in-a-coma

i'd still hit it

8:01......bravo on christmas morning

cause he was about to lose his house because his medical bills passed 35k. also paralyzed since 18 and a massive clinical depression case. frankly most fans are suprised he made it this long.

the dudes from calexico are saying the life support is still running, so keep praying

Pitchfork was using the erroneous athens blogs that had been taken down, and has since updated their story. Spinner was using examiner.com as their source and calling it the San Franciso Examiner which is hilariously inept and grossly irresponsible, as examiner.com is basically a blog anyone can post "news" to. Most other sites were using Spinner as a source. Spinner took down their whole story around 5 am.

I tried to post this last night and it wouldn't go through, hope it works.

BV did the right thing to change their post but not erase it.

from the examiner article comments:

"Vic Chesnutt is not dead. I am with him at the hospital in Georgia, and while he is in serious coma, we do not know what the outcome will be. Vic has survived serious comas in the past. Please do not report misinformation. You owe that to his family and friends, as well as to journalistic ethics.
Thank you.
Jem Cohen "

please keep him alive so that he can try and kill himself again.

^^^ yo, the above comment is fucked up, but sadly, true.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120978388
this is an excellent recent interview with Vic Chestnutt that covers a lot of info

what a selfish act

wow - I didn't realize VC was married?

it must be really sad for her

I don't really care about this dude and his selfish acts. Wah, life sucks, get over it. But, can anyone help me figure out a song? I think it's Called "Take You Home" or something along those lines and is by a newer indie band that is pretty well known...at least I think. Someone had me look it up one time, and I can't seem to find who the band was. Anyone?

3:21 sucks

yeah, paraplegics with serious depression are so selfish.

you people are fucking idiots.

It wasn't like he was really handicapped. He could still move his arms, and I'm pretty sure his dick still worked.

what's so confusing, to me, is that he seemed fairly upbeat in the NPR interview. highlighting, in particular, that his flirtations with death were essentially a thing of his past.

extremely sad news and i'm hoping for the best.

the best? What the hell would the best be? He somehow survives, and puts his family and friends through this complete misery again down the road? Or, he dies right now hooked up to a bunch of machines? Why don't people just jump off a cliff and take the sure way out?

Armchair moralists: please stop. No need to make this any more painful for family, friends and fans than I'm sure it already is. Channel your obvious personal discontent into something more productive. Happy holidays.

3:21 GO FUUUUCK YOURSELF

Damn, thus sucks... Saw him four times between 1998-2008, with and without backing musicians, and he was great each time.

First time was December 1998 at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. I didn't even know his music before going to the show, but I was floored when he played. Not too many artists can do that, especially playing solo with nothing but an acoustic guitar.

But the most amazing show was at Southpaw, 2004, when he played with a 7-piece band. I was almost reluctant to see him again after that: the show was so perfect and magical I almost didn't want to delute the memory.

I should have seen him last autumn, though... I guess that was the last chance.

4:41 i'm sorry your parents didn't hug you enough

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/vic-chesnutt-singer-dies/

constellation records just posted this:
http://cstrecords.com/

the facts of the matter is suicide is for pussies. Its unfortunate this fellow died, as it is unfortunate that thousands die everyday, but I have no respect for a man that takes his own life. Ifhis family reads this, I offer them my sincerest thoughts of understanding and concern, but it doesnt change the fact that suicide is for pussies.
-check your head!

6:35 This isn't the right place or time for that discussion or language.

I am 6:35 and perhaps your right that this isnt the right place for such "discussion and language" but whenever I hear of people commiting suicide I do indeed lose respect for that individual.
Life is a precious gift, and to throw it away by your own hands is truly a sin. I dunno... RIP I guess.

6:35/6:50 are you a paraplegic in a wheelchair with impossibly high medical bills? if you are, then please share your feel good story. but i' sure you aren't, but probably had someone close to you commit suicide - and i am sorry that happened, truly. but just shut the fuck up about this!!! i mean it.

vic chesnut was very very talented and lucky to have a career at all. he will be missed.

6:35/6:50: This post isn't about you and your opinions. It is about Vic.

aren't blog sites like this a place to express opinions? If its politically incorrect for someone to post what they think here, then this world is in need of an enema.
its very unfortunate that this talented musician took his life, but don't start crashing on people for expressing their viewpoints.

Its me again. 6:35/6:50.
and yes, I can see how my words may seem crass but indeed I have known people that have commuted suicide, so perhaps I am a bit more sensitive to this.
But I think the best way for me to summarize my statements is that lightning Hopkins didn't commit suicide. He made blues.
Pain is relative to the inner stregth one has, and it may be fair to say he lost some of that along the way.

didn't musicians help him by that house years ago in GA? and now due to medical bills - in the npr interview he mentioned he was scared the would now louse the house - it must not have been good for someone who already has depression.
and it was interesting to hear him say in interview that he had tried to commit suicide even before his accident.

this is so sad. i got to see him a few months ago in the diego rivera mural room of the detroit institute of the arts and met him after. he was super nice and was talking about how that show was one of his favorite shows ever. it was a huge crowd that was silent during his songs and rapturous in applause after. truly one of the most haunting and powerful musical experiences i've ever had. RIP.

to reiterate from one of the comments in the last vic chestnutt post, no one can know what someone else is going through.
don't judge, don't enforce your opinions with personal anecdotes, just recognize that someone who was in a lot of pain felt this was the only way to deal with it.
it's a personal decision & should be respected just as much as people that hold the opposite opinion on suicide/attempts.
everyone is on their own path & it's useless to compare

9:07 in the npr interview GC himself said that after reluctantly surviving previous attempts after a while he would see some joys in life again.

"I was much too far out all my life and not waving but drowning" Oh how I am gonna miss him.................

http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684642241408146

i'm sorry. his music will live on.

6:35, you're an idiot. I made a suicide attempt myself, and I had my reasons. It's not for pussies, moron.

RIP, Vic. You will be missed by many :(

i understand that there was confusion around his passing, but to put "RIP?" is incredibly tacky. have some class.

I understand that there was some concern about the confusion around his passing, but to call yourself "chris" in response is incredibly tacky. Have some class.

some real charmers on this site.

Judging anyone for committing (or attempting to commit) suicide is pretty bold. That's never the situation to use to bolster oneself. In fact I find it to be a bit sick. Vic was obviously extremely sad, and in quite a bit of pain both emotionally and physically. By all accounts he was a kind, sweet and strong man. Just read what Kristin Hersh posted about him. Trying to understand why is valid, but thinking less of someone for doing it helps no one. If it helps you feel better about yourself that's fine, but I find it to be pretty disturbing. I didn't know Vic, but I love his music. Hopefully he'll now be at peace.

Well said Hank...

Judging someone for trying to commit suicide is bold? I'm sorry...isn't this the ultimate statement about one's character? So when someone puts a gun to their head and pulls the trigger, knowing that they are going to cause everyone in their life a world of pain. This somehow is not a reflection on them as a person? We all should just ignore it I guess and focus on something else...that makes a lot of sense.

suicide is NOT for pussies 6:35.

the only pussies here are the judgemental fools posting disrespecful nonsense and who have no idea how Vic was feeling emotionally, physically, and financially. every human makes his or her own choices. judge not lest ye be judged.

Anyone who makes a statement that "suicide is for pussies" or something similar has obviously never gone through any sort of depression. I suffered from severe depression for three years of my life and now that I am free of it, I can look back and realize that every time I tried to take my own life, I was just trying to take away the pain - not my life. It wasn't that I wanted to die, but that I didn't want to keep living like this. For depressed people, the seemingly only way out of that black hole is death, and so that is why so many of them kill themselves. It is an irrational decision brought on by clouded judgment. Every suicide is a tragedy, and not something you can label as selfish or pathetic. Please try to get that simple fact through your pretentious skulls, and go back to living your wonderful, depression-free lives.

Vic had it harder than I did, seeing as that I am not handicapped. I'm not saying he did the right thing by killing himself, but I certainly understand what went through his head.

RIP Vic, you will be missed.

It is great that people can get the business loans and that opens up new possibilities.

Let's hope the Yanks clinch it today...

He was beautiful. I just find his song God Is Good with Victoria Williams. A rare gift . . . he to world.