We have lost a number of celebrities lately, including Lisa Marie Presley who died last week. Aside from Lisa Marie, a relatively young man who formed a grunge band has also died more recently. Yesterday we reported that musicians are sharing their heartfelt prayers and wellwishes to the man’s family and friends. Today, yet another music band have offered their prayers and wellwishes too.
As per his official Instagram page, Soundgarden bassist, Ben Shepherd released this statement concerning his now late musical artist comrade.
Van Conner (3/17/67- 1/17/23) bassist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and founder: Screaming Trees, Solomon Grundy, Gardener, VALIS
I’m thinking of Van back in the days of the Lollapalooza tour we did and how he always gave me that feeling of being amidst family and of an unspoken understanding about life, and … when spoken, with an ease that seemed to make it cool, or outrageously right, like you aren’t the fool the outside world tries to make you out to be. He was extremely relatable and maybe thats why he seemed to be a friend to all … i wish i had learned more from him.
While working on a record once, i had the pleasure to hear Van’s raw bass tracks he had put down previously – talk about tone city and vibe! Man, even in one note he made the songs have depth and soul and a binding factor that any architect would envy. You could literally hear the respect, consideration and intelligence in every note, there again was that unspoken knowledge, that reveal of natural cool.
He blew me away and i have known ever since that session that he had a mastery and accompanied that with a kind friendly smile and ferociously loyal attitude of appreciating life in a perfectly intelligent and smartass way.
I don’t have enough knowledge or the words to help his family and close friends feel better about their loss, all of our loss, but we were all lucky to have had Van as a friend and cohort in life.
Peace be with you Van.
– Ben
Prayers to his friends and family.
