RIP: Former Faith No More Vocalist Chuck Mosley Has Died at Age 57

According to a press release sent to Stereogum, Chuck Mosley has died at the age of 57, with the cause being “addiction-related reasons.” This follows a prolonged period of sobriety for the singer, who had recently been active touring and recording new music.

Mosley is best known for his work as the lead singer of Faith No More, appearing on their first two albums in the early 80s, We Care A Lot (1983) – which was recently reissued – and Introduce Yourself (1987).

Following those albums, he was fired from Faith No More and replaced with Mike Patton, who has remained the lead singer since 1988. After Mosley left the group, he spent a stint as the lead singer of DC hardcore pioneers Bad Brains and his own funk-punk group Cement. Along with his addiction issues, Mosley faced financial turmoil throughout his life. In 2014 he reported that he was broke and sought donations to allow him to keep his house.

He filed a lawsuit against the other members of Faith No More over the ownership of their material – it was eventually settled out of court.

The band members eventually reconciled, playing some shows in 2010 and a few shows together in 2015 and last year, including a performance at the Troubadour in West Hollywood that we were able to document.

His family released the following statement yesterday, confirming his passing:

After a long period of sobriety, Charles Henry Mosley III lost his life on November 9th, 2017 due to the disease of addiction. We’re sharing the manner in which he passed in the hopes that it might serve as a warning or wake-up call or beacon to anyone else struggling to fight for sobriety. He is survived by long-term partner Pip Logan, two daughters, Erica and Sophie, and his grandson Wolfgang Logan Mosley. The family will be accepting donations for funeral expenses. Details to follow when arranged.

Barring any unreleased material seeing posthumous release, the final album that Mosley will have worked on is the latest Primitive Race record, which was released earlier this month on November 3. Band leader Chris Kniker addressed his collaborator’s death on Facebook today:

The members of Faith No More have also released a statement in response to Mosley’s death. The band acknowledge the importance of his involvement in the early incarnation of the band, saying he was a “reckless and caterwauling force of energy who delivered with conviction and helped set us on a track of uniqueness and originality.”

Photo Credit: Brett Padelford