Jay Bennett, the former guitarist and sound engineer for Wilco, passed away on May 24 at the age of 45. The latest reports are attributing his death to an accidental overdose on the drug fentanyl, usually prescribed to treat chronic pain. He was declared dead after being found in an unresponsive state in his home in Urbana, Illinois. Bennett worked with Wilco from 1994 to 2001, and had recently sued lead singer Jeff Tweedy for royalties from his contributions to the band. (via Billboard)

This week started off with the very sad news that ex-Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett passed away in the very early hours of Monday morning. Though still no cause of death has been identified, his family has issued their statement via his mailing list. Hoping to clear up some potential rumors and end things on a high note, they sent out a mass e-mail yesterday [May 27] morning.
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It was only three weeks ago we reported Jay Bennett’s claim against his former bandmates in Wilco for breach of contract and unpaid artist’s royalties. Now those claims and any disputes between him and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy seem like a distant and irrelevant side note in the story of Bennett’s life. Jay Bennett passed away Sunday morning in Urbana, Illinois. He was 45 years old.
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Join the band. Argue. Make up. Break up. The cycle used to end there, but former Wilco member Jay Bennett is adding a new phase — the law suit. He’s taking Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy to court to recoup money he claims he’s owed from his years in the band.
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