Justin Cary, longtime bassist for Sixpence None The Richer and a key contributor to the band’s biggest hits including Kiss Me, has died at the age of 50 following complications from a stroke.
by Paul Cashmere
Justin Cary, bassist with American alternative rock band Sixpence None The Richer, has died aged 50 after suffering a stroke. Cary passed away on June 18, 2026, following treatment at Albany Medical Center in New York, where he underwent two surgeries and remained in intensive care. His death was confirmed by members of the band and comes just three days before what would have been his 51st birthday.
Cary was a central figure in Sixpence None The Richer for nearly three decades. Joining the group in 1997, he replaced bassist J.J. Plasencio and went on to perform on the recordings that would define the band’s commercial breakthrough. Among them was Kiss Me, the song that propelled Sixpence None The Richer onto international charts and remains one of the most recognisable pop songs of the late 1990s.
The loss is significant for both the band and a generation of fans who followed the group’s evolution from Christian alternative rock origins into mainstream success. Cary remained an active member through reunions, recording projects and touring activity that had intensified over the past three years. His death comes at a time when Sixpence None The Richer had been experiencing renewed momentum, releasing new music and performing internationally with much of its classic lineup reunited.
Band co-founder and guitarist Matt Slocum paid tribute to his longtime bandmate in a statement.
“We are completely heartbroken,” Slocum said. “The depth of our grief proves the depth of our love for this wonderful man who was our bandmate, brother-in-arms, and friend for 30 years.”
Slocum reflected on the band’s recent activity, noting that the past several years had included international touring, recording sessions and a renewed sense of purpose.
“We were planning for 30 more years,” he said. “Such a tragic and untimely loss. Please raise a glass with us to our dear friend and fantastic musician, Justin Cary. Cheers amigo, see you on the other side.”
Lead singer Leigh Nash also shared a personal tribute, writing: “‘We sure had a great time’ is an understatement. Thank you, Justin. We love you forever. Please keep his dear wife Linda close to your hearts. She is our family. There’s never been anybody like Justin.”
Born on June 21, 1975, Cary grew up in upstate New York before relocating to Nashville in 1997, the same year he joined Sixpence None The Richer. His arrival coincided with a pivotal period in the band’s history. Originally formed in New Braunfels, Texas in 1992 by Matt Slocum and Leigh Nash, the group had already established itself within Christian music circles through releases including The Fatherless And The Widow and This Beautiful Mess.
After signing with Squint Entertainment, the band’s self-titled 1997 album laid the groundwork for mainstream recognition. The release eventually spawned Kiss Me, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals. The album itself also received a Grammy nomination in the Best Rock Gospel Album category.
Sixpence None The Richer later scored further chart success with cover versions of There She Goes and Don’t Dream It’s Over. Cary’s bass playing featured throughout the band’s most commercially successful era and remained part of its subsequent reunions after the group’s initial split in 2004.
Outside the band, Cary built a respected career as a session and touring musician. He worked with artists including Counting Crows, Paul Brandt and Lee Brice. Through his personal website, he often reflected on the realities of life in the music industry and his desire to continue learning through performance and travel.
“As a member of Sixpence None The Richer, I have been fortunate to ride a wave of experience that taught me a lot about the music industry,” Cary wrote. “Sometimes easily, and sometimes the hard way.”
His death is likely to have a significant impact on Sixpence None The Richer’s future plans. The band had reunited in recent years, releasing the single The Tide in 2023, followed by We Are Love and the Rosemary Hill EP in 2024. The group had also resumed touring activity with several original members returning to the lineup.
For now, attention has turned to remembering Cary’s contribution to a band whose music continues to resonate decades after its breakthrough. His work on some of the defining alternative pop recordings of the late 1990s secured his place in the group’s legacy, while colleagues and fans remember him as a musician whose commitment to the band extended almost 30 years.
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