Neal Langford, previous bassist for The Shins, has actually passed away at age 50. The team’s diva, James Mercer, validated the information in a Thursday (July 27) Instagram blog post to the band’s main account.
“Just want to let you guys know one of the best friends I’ve ever had has passed,” Mercer captioned a black-and-white image of Langford playing his bass on phase. “He was in several bands with me including the Shins. A very important figure in my life you could say. I mean this is the guy who talked me into getting over my shyness and up on the stage. He put me in front of the microphone!”
Mercer proceeded, “He was the catholic school kid who showed me how to sneak into the back of the old El Rey theatre and get a ‘free’ beer. An invaluable person! Who turned me onto Dinosaur Jr. and Interview Magazine and the Cocteau Twins and countless other piles of cool stuff. … There’s too much to the story but I loved him. And I owe him a lot. Neal Langford you were always loved and you always will be.”
NBC affiliate WITN in North Carolina records that the artist, that was likewise a widely known warm air balloonist and also co-owner of IBX Balloon Flight, was discovered him dead in Bath Creek near a personal dock on July 21 by police in Beaufort County. Foul play is not presumed, and also a reason of fatality was not disclosed.
The bassist’s last upgrade on his Instagram account began June 23, when he shared a certificate of completion for efficiently completing a therapy program at the Walter B. Jones Alcohol and also Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Greenville, N.C.
Langford and also Mercer played with each other in a band called Flake — at some point relabelled Flake Music — in 1992 that was based in Albuquerque, N.M. The band launched one cd, 1997’s When You Land Here, It’s Time to Return, that was later on editioned by Sub Pop Records. The Shins was created as a side job by Mercer and also Flake Music drummer Jesse Sandoval in 1996; Langford signed up with the band in 1999 after Flake Music dissolved and also previous Shins participants Dave Hernandez and also Ron Skrasek left the band.
The bassist significantly used the team’s launching cd Oh! Inverted World. The launch — currently considered as a standard of the indie rock style — came to a head at No. 19 on Billboard‘s Top Alternative Albums chart and was later certified platinum by RIAA. The LP’s lead solitary, “New Slang,” was included in the 2004 flick Garden State starring Natalie Portman.
See Mercer’s homage blog post to Langford listed below.
