A press release apparently provided to US media in the wake of former Static-X frontman Wayne Static’s untimely death says the singer died “quietly in his sleep”, and was not a drug-related incident as some had been led to believe.
A number of metal blogs, including Metal Injection, The PRP and Metal Sucks, have posted the press release in its entirety. The statement claims that “the couple” — presumably Static and his wife of six years, Tera Wray — had “left hard drugs in 2009”, and notes Static’s solo album, Pighammer, was “a tribute to his new non-drug life”.
The statement concludes by saying that more information will be released in the coming days, and calls for courtesy and positive messages for Static’s wife and family.
Yesterday it was announced that Static, real name Wayne Wells, had died aged just 48 years old. Speculation surrounding the involvement of drugs in his death began even before his death was confirmed, after friend Micah Electric posted a statement to his own personal Facebook page which said Static “was a good soul who chose the wrong path”.
The rumour mill went into overdrive when Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix posted a statement to Instagram (below), alongside a picture of Static, indicating the Static-X founder had died of an overdose.
“TOO MANY MUSICIANS ARE DYING FROM OVERDOSES. IM SERIOUS ADDICTION IS REAL AND TAKES FOOLS OUT. NO ONE IS INVINCIBLE,” read Shaddix’s post.
Meanwhile, tributes to the talented vocalist, guitarist and producer from musicians and colleagues have poured out on social media. Among the hundreds of messages, David Draiman said goodbye to his “old friend“, Ozzy Osbourne called Static’s death a “tragic loss” while Corey Taylor said Static was “a good man and a good friend”.
Read the full press release below, via Metal Injection.
Watch: Static-X – The Only
Press Release:
HOLLYWOOD, CA (November 1, 2014) – Today is a sad day in the music industry – Front-man and founding member WAYNE STATIC of STATIC-X passed away quietly in his sleep at his home last night.
The couple was getting ready to leave for a Fall/Winter tour this morning. They were to have left the night before on Halloween, but decided they would head out early in the morning November 1st.
The couple, known for partying heavy, had left hard drugs in 2009 and had not touched them since. Static’s first solo album – Pighammer – was a tribute to his new non-drug life and hoped it would help others to get clean from hard chemical drugs.
More official information about his passing will be released in the following days. This is not a drug related incident or an O.D. Please be courteous to his family and wife and leave positive messages~
