It’s a sad day for fans of California indie rockers Grandaddy, with the news that its longtime bassist Kevin Garcia has died. Garcia died yesterday afternoon at a hospital in Modesto, California after suffering a massive stroke on Monday night, according to NPR. He was 41.
The band addressed Garcia’s sudden passing on its Facebook page, writing:
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
Garcia co-founded Grandaddy in 1992 with singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle and drummer Aaron Burtch. The band went on hiatus in 2006, only to reunite in 2012 and again in 2015, leading to the release of a new album, Last Place—the band’s first since 2006’s Just Like The Fambly Cat—in March of this year. Grandaddy was scheduled to play a run of shows on the West Coast beginning this coming Sunday in Vancouver, BC and ending in Pioneertown, CA on May 13; no word yet on the status of that tour, but cancellation seems likely.
A GoFundMe page has been started to help Garcia’s family with medical bills and funeral expenses. You can donate at this link.