Kevin Garcia, the bassist for the California-based indie rock band Grandaddy, died on Monday (May 1) after suffering a massive stroke. He was 41.
The band posted on Garcia’s passing via Facebook:
There are no accurate words to express what we need to.
We are absolutely shattered to say that we lost our friend and band mate Kevin Garcia early this afternoon. He succumbed to the effects of a massive stroke.
We were all able to say goodbye to him and he was surrounded by his closest friends and family here in Modesto.
Kevin started playing with Grandaddy when he was fifteen. He was an actual angel. He navigated life with a grace, a generosity and a kindness that was utterly unique. And contagious. He is loved so deeply by so many.
Kevin was a proud father of two children, Jayden and Gavin. He is survived by his grandmother Joan, his parents Randy and Barbara (who let us practice at their house until 2001…and who are the best), his brothers Craig and Jeff and his wife Sondra.
We’ll have more to say in the days ahead. Right now the four of us are grieving together. With great sadness and love, Grandaddy
There is a gofundme here to help with his family’s coming expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/friends-of-kevin-garcia
Grandaddy formed in 1992 by Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Tim Dryden and Garcia, who was only 15 at the time.
They released their first album, the cassette Complex Party Come Along Theories in 1994 followed two years later by A Pretty Mess by This One Band on Seattle’s Will Records.
In 1997, they released their first full length album, Under the Western Freeway, which saw the band gaining popularity in the U.K. where their music reached a cult-like status, being used in films, TV and radio programs and advertisements. The exposure led to their signing with Richard Branson’s V2 Records and the release of the Signal to Snow Ratio EP and their second full-length, The Sophtware Slump, an album The Independent called “easily the equal of OK Computer”.
Two more albums followed before, in January 2006, Lytle decided to end the band pointing to lack of income from their efforts. They reformed in 2012 but it wasn’t until March 2017 that they finally released their fifth album, Last Place.
Grandaddy has cancelled all shows through May 13. Their next scheduled date is June 2 at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
