Details are still a bit sketchy, but singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt died on Christmas Day, apparently after attempting to commit suicide earlier in the week which seen him lapse into a coma. Reports indicate that the 45-year-old performer was going deeper and deeper in the hole financially with mounting medical bills and the need to have a kidney transplant in the near future, all without any medical insurance or coverage. Longtime collaborator and friend Kristin Hersh estimated Chesnutt -- who became a paraplegic after a car crash in the early '80s -- had at least $50,000 worth of medical expenses to cover.
Chesnutt first got the attention of REM's Michael Stipe who praised the musician, leading to more and more seeking out his albums and thus gaining a loyal cult following. Chesnutt and Hersh often toured together. More recently, Chesnutt toured North America which hit Toronto, Winnipeg and Western Canada before wrapping up in early December. The tour was behind his new studio album (and 16th of his career) At The Cut which came out in September.
He will be missed....
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