Joe Skyward, onetime bassist for Pacific Northwest outfits the Posies and Sunny Day Real Estate, passed away over the weekend following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 57 years old.
News of the musician's passing arrived yesterday morning (March 27) through his old bandmates in the Posies, who confirmed in a Facebook post that he had died the night before, surrounded by friends and family.
"We had many great years with Joe and loved him very much. We still do," the group wrote, adding, "Rest in peace, rest in space, rest in bass."
Nicknamed "Joe Bass," Skyward had joined the Posies in 1994 and played on 1996's Amazing Disgrace and 1998's Success before exiting the band in 1999. He would return in 2013, but bowed out around the time he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign had raised over $56,000 USD to help pay for his chemotherapy treatments.
In addition to the Posies, Skyward was the third bassist for Washington indie rockers Sunny Day Real Estate. He toured with the band in 1998 to support their reunion LP, How It Feels to Be Something On. He would later go on to play bass on SDRE singer Jeremy Enigk's World Waits and The Missing Link solo albums.
Other acts Skyward performed with included the Walkabouts and Sky Cries Mary.
Among those survived by Skyward are his wife Chris Pelligrino, his daughter Brette, his son Jaxin, and granddaughter Simonne.
News of the musician's passing arrived yesterday morning (March 27) through his old bandmates in the Posies, who confirmed in a Facebook post that he had died the night before, surrounded by friends and family.
"We had many great years with Joe and loved him very much. We still do," the group wrote, adding, "Rest in peace, rest in space, rest in bass."
Nicknamed "Joe Bass," Skyward had joined the Posies in 1994 and played on 1996's Amazing Disgrace and 1998's Success before exiting the band in 1999. He would return in 2013, but bowed out around the time he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign had raised over $56,000 USD to help pay for his chemotherapy treatments.
In addition to the Posies, Skyward was the third bassist for Washington indie rockers Sunny Day Real Estate. He toured with the band in 1998 to support their reunion LP, How It Feels to Be Something On. He would later go on to play bass on SDRE singer Jeremy Enigk's World Waits and The Missing Link solo albums.
Other acts Skyward performed with included the Walkabouts and Sky Cries Mary.
Among those survived by Skyward are his wife Chris Pelligrino, his daughter Brette, his son Jaxin, and granddaughter Simonne.