Wilco's Jay Bennett Found Dead

Saturday night claimed another life from the realm of talented musicians after former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett died in his sleep.

Bennett had a troubled relationship with the band and left to go his own way in 2001. He cited the reason for his departure as being a falling out with fellow Wilco member Jeff Tweedy.Relations had gotten so frosty that - as we previously reported - Bennett launched legal action against the band last month seeking to claim alleged unpaid royalties totalling over £30,000.

Tweedy made no mention of the dispute in his statement regarding Bennett's passing. He simply stated:

We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him - as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time.

Bennett was known to suffer from ill health as he desperately needed replacement hip surgery but stated publicly that he could not afford the health insurance to cover the operation. The launch of the lawsuit came two weeks after he revealed this information. No cause of death was known at the time of writing. He was 45.