Mark Lanegan Dead at 57: ‘Screaming Trees’ Singer’s Cause of Death Mysterious

Mark Lanegan, popularly known for being the frontman of Screaming Trees and being one of the members of Queens of the Stone Age, has passed away at the age of 57.

According to a statement released through his official Twitter account, as reported by The Guardian, the musician passed away on the morning of February 22 at his home in Killarney, Ireland.

"A beloved singer, songwriter, author and musician he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley," the post reads.

At the time of this writing, there is still no information regarding his actual cause of death, and the family is asking for privacy.

Per Variety, the frontman sometimes uses his nickname "Dark Mark" for music releases. He focused on creating themes of "loss, longing, moralita, and chemical dependence" as he had been through crime and addiction throughout his career, which inspired most of his projects.

Lanegan, who was an alcoholic with a lengthy arrest record, was in a video store in Washington when he started a band with Gary Lee Conner and Van Conner.

In his 2020 memoir titled "Sing Backwards and Weep," he detailed how he wanted the "Excitement, adventure, decadence, depravity, anything, everthing."

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Screaming Trees went on to be a hard rock band with a hint of psychedelia; their success led them to sign with SST Records.

They released their debut single "Nearly Lost You" in 1990, co-produced by Chris Cornell.

Aside from being a successful frontman for the band, Lanegan also pursued a solo career as he collaborated with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic. They later performed "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" in an MTV performance.

His solo career took off as he released more Sub Pop songs featuring Mike Johnson of Dinosaur Jr.

The musician has suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction. In 1997, he finally changed his life with the help of the Musicians Assistance Program as he entered a rehabilitation center in Southern California.

Almost a year before his untimely death, Lanegan battled COVID-19 which left him in and out of a coma.

After the news of his death circulated online, many friends and fans have paid tribute to the late musician.

One of which is bassist Peter Hook who wrote, "Mark Lanegan was a lovely man. He led a wild life that some of us could only dream of. He leaves us with fantastic words and music! Thank god that through all of that he will live forever. RIP Mark."

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