The Black Keys touring bassist Richard Swift’s family has released the following statement about his death. Swift died a week ago. I can relate to this on a personal level. If you need help, please go to a local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting (AA.org).
An update:
We are grateful to the many fans, friends, artists and collaborators who have shared their thoughts, love and support this week. It has been a bracing force for many of us.
A number of questions have come up surrounding Swift’s life, his work and his death, and we’d like to answer some of them candidly, here:
Yes, Richard Swift suffered from alcohol addiction, and it’s ultimately what took his life. With the support of family and friends and the assistance of MusiCares, Richard had checked himself into rehab for multiple stays over the past two years, but his body gave out before he could overcome the disease. He was diagnosed with hepatitis and liver and kidney distress in June. Multiple hospitals worked to help stabilize him over the course of that month, but his body was unable to heal and, per his wishes and with his family’s consent, he was moved to hospice care. Richard passed in the early morning of July 3, 2018 in a hospice facility in Tacoma, WA. He is survived by his wife Shealynn and their three children Madison, Adrian & Kennedy.
Yes, Richard was working on new music, originally planned for release in November of this year. We do not have a timeline for its completion yet, but we hope to share it with you sooner than that.
With love,
The Swift family, Secretly Canadian & Next Wave Management.
