Guitarist Jeremy Brown, who played for Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts, died on Monday at the age of 34.
According to Yahoo, the cause of death has yet to be disclosed. Brown’s death came just one day before the release of Blaster, the band’s debut album. Brown did not show up to the band’s rehearsal before their album release show on Monday, which tipped off the other members that something was wrong.
“We received a call today about my friend Jeremy Brown that has shaken me to the core. We were all concerned this afternoon when Jeremy didn’t show up for a long-scheduled rehearsal for tonight’s album release show at School Night,” Weiland wrote in a Facebook post to fans. “An hour later, Jeremy’s family called us to say that he had passed away. I am in shock right now; everyone that knows him is devastated. It is a terrible loss that goes beyond words. He is one of my best friends, a truest friend and one of the most gifted guitar players that I’ve ever known. A true genius.”
Weiland continued, “It’s impossible to explain how much he will be missed and what a hole this will leave in our hearts. A post on Facebook feels so trite and small compared to the love that I have for him and for the talent that has passed on but I felt it was necessary to at least start here. Please keep his family in your thoughts.”
Brown had been working with Weiland for seven years, beginning with the recording of Weiland’s solo album, “Happy” in Galoshes. He then went on tour with Weiland, along with bassist Tommy Black and drummer Danny Thompson. Weiland was officially fired as lead vocalist for the Stone Temple Pilots in 2013, and the touring quartet soon decided to form Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts and began recording Blaster. In one interview that Weiland did with LA Weekly, he said that the guitarist “came up with a majority of the riffs” for the album.
The Monday night album release gig at Los Angeles’ School Night was cancelled when the band found out about Brown’s death.