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Biography
About|the musician|the author|Jay Bennett (Author)Infobox musical artist| name = Jay Bennett| image = JayBennettKenCoomer.jpg| caption = Jay Bennett performing with Wilco @ the Riviera Theatre , Chicago, Illinois, January 1, 2000| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Jay Walter Bennett| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|1963|11|15|birth_place = Rolling Meadows, Illinois | death_date = Death date and age|2009|05|24|1963|11|15|death_place = Urbana, Illinois | instrument = Guitar , Piano , organ (music)|Organ , Mellotron , Banjo , Bass guitar|Bass , Drums , Synthesizer , Harmonica | genre = Alternative country , garage rock , Americana (music)|Americana , Pop music|pop , Rock music|rock , Experimental music|experimental | occupation = Singer-songwriter , Guitarist , producer (music)|Producer , Recording engineer|Engineer | years_active = 1991 in music|1991 - 2009 in music|2009 | label = Undertow Music Nonesuch Records|Nonesuch Reprise Records|Reprise | associated_acts = Wilco Titanic Love Affair| website = MySpace-music|jaybennett|Jay Bennett Jay Walter Bennett (November 15, 1963 - May 24, 2009) was an American guitarist , multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter , best known for his work with the band Wilco .
Biography
Early life and work with Wilco
Jay Bennett was born November 15, 1963 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois , a suburb Northwest of Chicago . http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/06/coroner-painkiller-killed-ex-wilco-member.html Chicagobreakingnews.comdead link|date=May 2012
Bennett was a founding member of Titanic Love Affair. The band recorded three albums in the 1990s: Titanic Love Affair (1991), No Charisma (1992), and ''Their Titanic Majesty's Request (1996). He also played guitar with Steve Pride and His Blood Kin and Gator Alley.
From 1994 through 2001 Bennett was a member of Wilco . Conflicts between front man Jeff Tweedy and Bennett that would contribute to Bennett's split with Wilco are visible in the Sam Jones (filmmaker)|Sam Jones film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco . Although Bennett sought to act as both mixer and engineer for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , Tweedy was unsure of Bennett's abilities against those of producer Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke . Bennett claimed he "tried to stay away from the mixing, having been reminded that Jim didn't like a lot of folks around when he was mixing."cite web|last=Phillips |first=Derek |url= http://gloriousnoise.com/2002/exclusive_glorious_noise_inter |title=Glorious Noise Interview with Jay Bennett, May 2002 |publisher=Gloriousnoise.com |date=2002-05-15 |accessdate=2012-05-14 Tweedy and Bennett frequently argued over whether the album should be accessible to a general listener, or attempt to cover new musical ground.Kot 2004. p. 195–6 Unbeknownst to Bennett, Tweedy invited O'Rourke to remix "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", and the results impressed the other band members — even Bennett. Tensions grew between Bennett and O'Rourke because Bennett wanted to play a more integral role regarding the mixing of the album. O'Rourke cut the contributions of other members on several of the songs; some songs, such as "Poor Places", only featured the Loose Fur trio of Tweedy, O'Rourke and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche .Kot 2004. p. 198–9 (Bennett claimed he contributed organ, guitars, and the "Noiz section" to "Poor Places.")cite web|url= http://gloriousnoise.com/jay-bennett-yhf |title=Glorious Noise, May 2002 |publisher=Gloriousnoise.com |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14 The album was completed in 2001, and Bennett was dismissed from the band immediately afterwards.cite news|last=Fricke|first=David|title=In from the Cold|publisher= Mojo (magazine)|Mojo |date=May 2002
Solo career
After leaving Wilco, Bennett released five solo albums. The first, entitled The Palace at 4 a.m. , was a collaboration with Champaign musician Edward Burch . 2004's Bigger Than Blue was a more stripped-down set of personal songs. In the same year he released The Beloved Enemy , which saw Bennett exploring his personal turmoil in even more intimate detail. The Magnificent Defeat , was released in September, 2006. He released Whatever Happened I Apologize in November 2008 on rockproper.com. Bennett had been working on a sixth record, titled Kicking at the Perfumed Air . http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2009/05/jay_bennett_dead_at_age_45.html Suntimes.comdead link|date=May 2012 It was released for free on May 24, 2010 on the Jay Bennett Foundation's website.
In addition to his popularity in Wilco and as a solo performer, Bennett also played on albums by Sheryl Crow , Allison Moorer , Sherry Rich and Billy Joe Shaver , produced Blues Traveler's 2005 release, ˇBastardos! and mixed the album Double Barrel by Chicago country-rock band Old No. 8.
Later life and death
In May 2009, Bennett sued Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy for breach of contract stemming from his work for Wilco.cite web|url= http://www.scribd.com/doc/14986415/2009-05-Bennett-v-Tweedy |title=Bennett v. Tweedy court documents |publisher=Scribd.com |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14 The suit came less than two weeks after Bennett publicly revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery which he could not afford due to his health insurance considering the situation a "pre-existing condition."cite news |url= http://www.memphisflyer.com/SingAllKinds/archives/2009/05/14/is-wilcos-jeff-tweedy-living-the-life-he-sings-about|title= Is Wilco's Jeff Tweedy Living the Life He Sings About? |date= May 14, 2009 |author= Lisle, Andria|publisher= Memphis Flyer |accessdate= 2009-05-24
On May 24, 2009 Bennett died unexpectedly in his sleep.Chicago magazine (August 2009): http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2009/Where-Credit-Is-Due/ Chicagomag.com The Champaign County coroner reported about one month later that his death was accidental death|accidental , and was the result of an drug overdose|overdose of the prescription painkiller fentanyl .cite news |url= http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/06/coroner-painkiller-killed-ex-wilco-member.html |title= Coroner: Painkiller killed ex-Wilco member |date= June 23, 2009 |author= Greg Kot |publisher= Chicago Tribune |accessdate= 2009-06-23 NME '' article: " http://www.nme.com/news/wilco/45547 Ex-Wilco guitarist died of a drug overdose, says coroner: Jay Bennett had been taking pain medication." He was wearing a Duragesic patch on his back when his body was found, said Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup. http://www.newsgazette.com/news/local/2009/06/23/coroner_medicine_overdose_killed_musician_bennett Newsgazette.comDead link|date=November 2010 At the time of his death, Bennett lived in Urbana, Illinois|Urbana , Illinois, where he spent most of his time writing songs and recording in his private studio, Pieholden Studios, which was named after "Pieholden Suite" on Wilco's Summerteeth .
Immediately after his death, a friend of Bennett's posted a blog through the musician's MySpace account, saying that Bennett had "been in a really good place these last few years."MySpace blog entry on http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm? fuseaction=blog.view& friendId=45596491& blogId=491319715 Jay Bennett's page. The post also revealed that he had been looking forward to engineering an unreleased Titanic Love Affair album, another album with Edward Burch titled The Palace at 4AM Part II , and that he had recently enrolled in graduate school classes at the University of Illinois . The post ended by encouraging fans to engage in some of Bennett's favorite activities: "listen to a Nick Lowe album, watch some Mythbusters on Discovery Channel|Discovery , play Warren Zevon ’s " Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner ," rent Pay It Forward (one of his favorite movies), write a song with the TV on and the sound off," and focus on Bennett's loving spirit.
Former bandmate Jeff Tweedy also made a brief statement on Wilco's official website: "We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him -- as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."cite web |publisher=Wilcoworld.net |url= http://www.wilcoworld.net/news/jaybennett.php |title=Jay Bennett
Bennett's final album, Kicking at the Perfumed Air , was released on July 10, 2010, through The Jay Bennett Foundation. It was made available free of charge, with a suggested donation.cite web|url= http://rockproper.com/jay-bennett/kicking-at-the-perfumed-air.html |title=Kicking at the Perfumed Air & #124; Jay Bennett & #124; Acoustic Rock |publisher=Rockproper.com |date=2010-03-31 |accessdate=2012-05-14
http://www.jaybennett.org The Jay Bennett Foundation
MySpace-music|jaybennett|Jay Bennett
" http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/05/rip_jay_bennett.html R.I.P. Jay Bennett," a remembrance by Bob Boilen at NPR 's All Songs Considered blog
wilco Persondata |NAME= Bennett, Jay |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Bennett, Jay Walter |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singer-songwriter , Producer (music)|producer |DATE OF BIRTH=November 15, 1963 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Urbana, Illinois|Urbana , Illinois |DATE OF DEATH= 2009-05-24 |PLACE OF DEATH= Urbana, Illinois|Urbana , Illinois DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Jay Category:1963 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American record producers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:Wilco members Category:Musicians from Illinois Category:People from Urbana, Illinois Category:Drug-related deaths in Illinois Category:The Minus 5 members
