Memphis Garage Rocker Jay Reatard Dead At 29, Left Lasting Legacy In Toronto
Posted January 14, 2010 12:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Jay Reatard, known almost as much for his gruff persona as he was for the driving, snarling garage rock he so brilliantly penned, has died.
The Memphis rocker, born Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., had no shortage of fans and appreciators distraught following news he was found dead in his bed early Wednesday morning. He was 29.
The cause is yet to be released, but Memphis Police are handling the death as part of a possible homicide investigation, according to local sources.
Regardless of cause though, Reatard’s legacy will be that of a man who played hard, lived hard and was extremely hard on himself, especially in his music.
The tall, shaggy-haired guitarist first emerged as a member of Memphis garage outfit The Reatards in the early 90s but went on to develop a major solo career during which he released several singles and two critically-acclaimed albums, Blood Visions (2006) and Watch Me Fall (2009).
The latter was his first full studio release on Matador Records and was accompanied by single, “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me,” a track now as chilling as it is always was infectious.
Jay Reatard has lots of fans in Toronto, and despite having no roots here, the city was the site for a few of his infamous moments.
In early 2008 he was the centre of a Toronto rock controversy which unfolded The Silver Dollar when he punched a raucous fan mid-set, walked off the stage not to return and sparked a heated confrontation between promoters Dan Burke and Craig Laskey.
Later that year he again failed to make it through a set at Wrongbar and the same week announced a make-up show at Sneaky Dee’s which required added security in order to reach its completion.
Most recently, Jay Reatard brought his Shattered Records Tour to the soon-to-be-defunct Reverb and while his last show here was entirely peaceful, the crowd was noticeably thinner than the 2008 editions.
Nevertheless, I was there with camera rolling and captured Jay, perhaps at his best. Which is to say, playing the songs that were his life
R.I.P. Jay Reatard.
