Former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died of an overdose of a pain killer, according to a recent Associated Press article. The article goes on to say that the 45-year-old musician died from an overdose of fentanyl. Bennett was preparing for a hip replacement surgery before he was found dead at his home in Urbana, IL on May 24.
Shortly before his death, Bennett had filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Jeff Tweedy. Bennett claimed that the Wilco frontman owed him money for his appearance in Sam Peters 2002 documentary I am Trying to Break Your Heart and royalties from his stint in the band. The multi-instrumentalist left Wilco shortly before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot catapulted the band to fame. Wilco’s next studio album will be released on June 30.