Beginning his career in 1998, musician Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. a.k.a. Jay Reatard developed a name in the indie rock circuit. Respected by even the most particular indie rock critics, the tunes of Jay Reatard will forever be remembered as noisy, hard edged, and completely uncompromising. On January 13, 2009, Lindsey become immortalized when he was found dead in bed at his abode in the Cooper-Young neighborhood of Memphis; he was 29.
A shocking blow to indie music followers around the globe, the sudden death of Jay Reatard has been the focus of countless online music outlets including Pitchfork media – and of course, this one.
Talented and unrelenting in his creative approach to music, Reatard was a staple in the Memphis garage scene before emerging on the national underground scene with 2006 release Blood Visions. Signed to indie juggernaut Matador Records after Blood Visions, and they released this statement concerning Reatard’s death:
“Jay was as full of life as anyone we’ve ever met, and responsible for so many memorable moments as a person and artist. We’re honored to have known and worked with him, and we will miss him terribly.”
According to reports, Reatard was found in bed by his roommate. Friends of Reatard say that he spoke of flu-like symptoms, but an autopsy failed to pinpoint the cause of death. As is procedure for cause of death, an investigation was opened by the Memphis Homicide Bureau, and a post was added to the MyFox Memphis website. Eventually the post was removed.
Many artists and figures within the indie music circuit including Deerhunter/Atlast sound frontman Bradford Cox, Matador Records co-founder Gerard Cosloy, The Pixies, Ted Leo, and Vivian Girls have responded to the sad news of Reatard’s passing. No Age has posted a photo tribute on their blog, while Beck’s website is streaming Reatard’s cover of “Gamma Ray”.
The music world recognizes the loss of a talented musician who achieved near overnight success and was lost just as his hard work was just beginning to be noticed. An uncompromising independent artist, Reatard will greatly be missed in the music world, especially among members of his associated acts including The Reatards, Lost Sounds, Nervous Patterns, The Final Solutions, Digital Leather, Angry Angles, Terror Visions, and Bad Times.
