RIP, Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees

Sad news in the music world today. Another icon from the Seattle music scene is gone.

Mark Lanegan, the frontman for the Screaming Trees, died earlier today in his home in Killarney, Ireland. He was just 57.

I saw him in concert twice. The first time was when he still fronted the Trees, and I saw them perform up close and personal at Lollapalooza in 1996 at Randall's Island. The second time that I saw him was at the Clausfest at the old Nassau Coliseum on Long Island back in December of 2002. Ironically, both times, he performed at concerts where I saw Chris Cornell, another departed icon of the Seattle music scene. At Lollapalooza, Cornell was still with Soundgarden. At the Clausfest, he and former members of Rage Against the Machine were still largely introducing themselves as Audioslave.

Lanegan and his band, the Screaming Trees, were among the earliest pioneers of the Seattle music scene, or "grunge." They were very widely respected, and they did enjoy some mainstream success, particularly with their biggest hit, "Nearly Lost You." However, they never did make it as big as some of the other major Seattle bands of the time. Lanegan worked with other well-known musical acts, most notably the Queens of the Stone Age, the band I saw him with back in 2002. He had one of the most unique and distinctive voices in music, instantly recognizable and with a strained, rough sound to it. On some levels, he may have been the most "grungy" of the so-called grunge bands. 

It seems so strange to me that all of these guys who I grew up as a teenager and a young man listening to are dying off already. These guys used to represent a youthful, vibrant music scene centered in a city that itself seemed to appeal to youthful culture and energy. True, that was a while ago. Hard to believe that it was 30 years ago, but even that was not all that long ago. Again, Lanegan was only 57, which is hardly a very old age. He might not have been a household name, like the aforementioned Chris Cornell, or Kurt Cobain, or Eddie Vedder. Still, he was an important figure in the then burgeoning Seattle music scene of the early nineties, often lumped into the "grunge" category. 

I enjoyed his music, and was pleased to see him both times that I did in fact see him. He will be missed.

RIP, Mark Lanegan.

Here is what the Facebook pages for both the Screaming Trees and Gary Lee Conner (a member of the Trees who, I believe, was the author of the Screaming Trees Facebook page) had to say as tribute to their former bandmate today:

Mark William Lanegan passed away today, 2.22.2022, at his home in Killarney, Ireland. 

He was our true brother and we all truly loved him.. 

In this city built on broken glass 

And the carcasses of a million dead sheep 

Where the blood runs thick down third street 

Down the gutter to the railroad station 

And takes a train 

Up, over these big mountains to the sea 

That's where you gotta be You gotta go to the sea           

Strange Out Here, Mark Lanegan 

As we say goodbye to Mark, a member of our family, 

remember he still lives with us all in his music. 

We Love You Forever Mark, Screaming Trees...