Singer-Songwriter + Writer Mark Lanegan Passes Away At 57

Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan photo: alterna2 (Wikipedia)
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Mark Lanegan has passed away at the age of 57. Lanegan began his musical career in 1984 as the frontman for rock band Screaming Trees; he was also a former member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He went on to live an impressive solo career, releasing 11 studio albums since 1990.

Per Mark Lanegan’s Twitter account, an official statement has been released as of today:

“Our beloved friend Mark Lanegan passed away this morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland.  A beloved singer, songwriter, author and musician he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley.  No other information is available at this time. We ask Please respect the family privacy.”


Mark was born on November 25th, 1964 in Ellensburg, Washington. He lived an extortionary life and worked with an array of talented musicians, such as Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam (just to name a few).

Mark was also a great writer. In 2017, he released a book titled I Am the Wolf: Lyrics & Writings, a collection of lyrics accompanied by explanations and anecdotes. His memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep, would be released in 2020. His more recent memoir, Devil in a Coma, was released last year.

One of his more recent collaborations involved the post-metal band Cult Of Luna; Lanegan contributed vocals to their song “Inside of a Dream,” which is part of Cult Of Luna’s 2021 EP The Raging River. Lanegan also provided vocals to the song “The Music Becomes a Skull,” which is part of the 2021 album Ultrapop by The Armed. You can find these songs, including the Screaming Trees hit “Nearly Lost You,” below.

The latest solo album from Mark Lanegan is 2020’s Straight Songs of Sorrow.

We at The Pit are thinking of Mark’s family and send our best to them.

 

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Words by: Michael Pementel