(WTRF) — Jon Wysocki, a drummer and founding member of the rock band Staind, has died at 53, according to members of his current band.
Bandmates on Wysocki’s current project, Lydia’s Castle, announced his death over the weekend on social media.
“On 5/18/2024 at 8:02pm, [Jon Wysocki] passed away surrounded by family and friends that loved him dearly. An official statement will be developed shortly,” the band wrote in an Instagram post shared on Saturday.
Staind also released a statement on Wysocki’s death the following day.
“We first met Jon through mutual friends in 1994,” reads a statement posted to the band’s social media pages. “We came together with Mike, Aaron and Johnny April in 1995 and founded Staind. The 17 years that followed were some of the best memories of our times together. From practice in Ludlow, [Massachusetts,] to touring around the world, Jon was integral to who we were as a band. Our hearts go out to Jon’s family and fans around the world who loved him.”
Wysocki was one of the four original members of Staind, along with lead singer Aaron Lewis, Lead guitarist Mike Mushok, and bassist Johnny April. Wysocki left the band in 2011, before briefly joining the band Soil.
“I was very frustrated with it all, so I said to the guys, ‘As much as I love this band and I love you guys, I gotta go. This is not the Staind we started out being,” Wysocki once said in an interview for the 2021 book “Nu Metal: The Definitive Guide.”
Aaron Lewis, Staind’s lead singer, also released a personal statement after Wysocki’s passing, calling him a “brother in arms.”
“My journey would’ve been different without him,” Lewis said, in part. “The battles we fought together. The battles we fought against each other. The battles we fought side by side alone with our own demons. The battles we won and the battles we lost. He was my friend. He was our brother. My heart is broken. My world has changed. I’ll see you on the other side my friend. My brother. Godspeed. My heart, my love, and my condolences go out to his family and loved ones. I’m so f—— sad. He will be missed.”
Wysocki’s cause of death had not been made public as of Monday morning.