Vic Chesnutt Dies at 45

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Dec 24, 2009

Bad news has surfaced regarding much-loved Athens, GA singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt. According to a New York Times report, Chesnutt's family has confirmed he is in a coma. The official cause of the coma, however, has yet to be revealed.

Word of Chesnutt's condition hit the Internet on Wednesday (December 23) via Twitter posts from fellow singer-songwriter and friend Kristin Hersh. According to the posts, it looks as if 45-year-old Chesnutt may have attempted suicide, though Chesnutt's family has yet to confirm that to be the cause.

"Yeah, i can tell you what i know, but no one knows much: another suicide attempt, looks bad, coma - if he survives, there may be brain damage," wrote Hersh.

She later wrote: "This time, it's real scary: *this* time, he left a note, *this* time, he asked them to call me."

Chesnutt's latest full-length was this year's Constellation Records release At the Cut, followed by a collaborative album Skitter on Take-Off with Jonathan Richman.

UPDATE: Constellation Records has posted a statement on the label's website confirming that Vic Chesnutt has died. The message reads: "Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59. In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic's absence unfathomable. We will make more information available according to the wishes of Vic's family and friends."


Latest Coverage