R.I.P. Benjamin Curtis of School of Seven Bells

Diagnosed earlier this year with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, School of Seven Bells guitarist Benjamin Curtis has now passed away.

Curtis, 35, had established himself notably as a musician, joining his brother Brandon in the rock band UFOFU, then drumming for psych pop group Tripping Daisy before helping in the formation of cult art-rock band Secret Machines. Curtis went on to create the School of Seven Bells with Alejandra Deheza in 2007, and the last of the indie rock outfit’s albums came with 2012’s Ghostory.

After announcing his diagnosis in early 2013, friends rallied to support him with concerts and the set-up of donation website.

Following his passing, School of Seven Bells has issued the following statement:

Dear friends,

Last night, Dec. 29th 2013, we lost our friend and brother Benjamin Curtis to his fight against cancer.

While we had hoped to delay this announcement until a more suitable time when his friends and family could feel better prepared and settled to greet any correspondences from folks attempting to reach out, unfortunately the news has prematurely leaked. So we felt it would be appropriate to at least offer an official acknowledgement from us, in light of all the fans who loved and supported Benjamin and his music.

We kindly ask that his immediate family, friends & bandmates’ privacy be respected during this time, and that instead, any inquires, well wishes, or notes-of-consolation be sent through School of Seven Bells’ management, where it can be shared with them at the suitable time. They can be sent to a special e-mail address here: sviib@wizkidmanagement.com

If relevant, further information will be made available through the suitable channels in the near future.

We can’t thank all of you who supported him and his music through the years enough. All of you who attended or participated in the various benefits in and around New York City over the past year since his diagnosis, and of course those who contributed and gave generously to help support him throughout that journey. You made it possible for all of us, and for him, to see how truly loved he was and how many lives he had touched through his music by your gestures. We will all miss this incredibly talented and rare person every day, but we are fortunate enough that he shared with us his music, and that is something that we can keep forever.