Feeder drummer Jon Lee found dead

January 9, 2002 5:03 AM

Feeder drummer Jon Lee found dead "JON LEE, drummer with Welsh rock trio FEEDER, has been found dead in his MIAMI home after committing suicide."

Feeder are one of my favourite bands. In my eyes a tragic loss. What drives (apparently successful) people such as Jon to suicide? Especially since they've just had a track in UK Top 20...
posted by robzster1977 (16 comments total)

perhaps he just couldn't stand indentured servitude any longer.
posted by quonsar at 5:31 AM on January 9, 2002

The article doesn't go into much detail. I wonder if there were substances involved. I could never understand suicide, hardly anyone does, but it seems all the stranger and sadder that he just got married two years ago and had a son. Also, were there any notes? Anything? Maybe we'll find out later.
posted by tiaka at 5:49 AM on January 9, 2002

Everytime someone kills themself, the question is asked : "How could someone so pretty/successful/rich/oversexed/rockin'/talented kill themselves?"

And everytime it annoys the shit out of me that people could be that simple-minded. People have LOTS of things going on in their lives and heads. Having a song in the top 20 isn't going to release you from severe depression. What a goofy thing to imply.
posted by glenwood at 6:57 AM on January 9, 2002

Here's a list of most of the top rock stars who have committed suicide. There are quite a few. For years, I was deeply disturbed by the fact that both Pete Ham and Tom Evens of the group Badfinger both hung themselves. I mean, they produced so much gorgeous, life-affirming music. Why would they do such a thing? However, reading interviews with the group's drummer, many years later, I discovered that those fellers had really, really massive substance abuse problems. No one ever talks about that. But supposedly, they were nearly constantly high. I wouldn't be surprised if drugs turned out to be a factor in many "mysterious" "gee they were so successful and had so much to live for" suicides.
posted by Faze at 7:04 AM on January 9, 2002

And everytime it annoys the shit out of me that people could be that simple-minded.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, glenwood. I was starting to think I was the only one who got upset by such comments.
posted by Qubit at 7:09 AM on January 9, 2002

I guess you're so un-simple minded that you *don't* think before you post.

When I say tragic I'm referring to the fact that he does indeed leave a wife and a son.

Now i'm simple minded for thinking that then i'm guilty as charged.
posted by robzster1977 at 7:20 AM on January 9, 2002

I'm amazed about the "Miami home" bit. I know it's a bit irrelevant, but did he have a partner in Miami? I wasn't aware indie stars made enough cash to get second homes...
posted by skylar at 7:36 AM on January 9, 2002

They'd reloacted to Florida, and he was married to a Brazilian.
posted by robzster1977 at 8:20 AM on January 9, 2002

"What drives (apparently successful) people such as Jon to suicide."

YOU PEOPLE! You people who question value and criticize everything an artist does. Putting your all into your art then being called a "sell out"; that's what does it.

The more you get built up, the harder people try and criticize your ever action to make themselves feel better by about their own worthless lives.

Everytime you say something negative about an unquanitifable venture like music, your making the artists life worse, and they don't deserve that.
posted by Leonard at 8:24 AM on January 9, 2002

Also, quonsar, not every album deal is "indentured servitude"..

What do you suggest labels do as an alternative when they are thinking about investing millions in promotion?

They gotta get it back if they want to do it again..

I got I hate it when people act like major labels have done nothing but evil.. Who paid for all those videos? Who paid for all that everything? Labels, that's who.. They provide the money sense that keeps the wheels on this insane venture turning.

Chuck D has the right idea, it's not about the deal, it's about the ownership. And who paid for EVERY public enemy studio session and video, a major label.. How evil can they be if they make things like that happen?
posted by Leonard at 8:29 AM on January 9, 2002

robzster1977, I didn't mean to make a personal attack against you in particular - this is just a pet peeve of mine. I wasn't posting without thinking, either.

What drives (apparently successful) people such as Jon to suicide? Especially since they've just had a track in UK Top 20...

This is what I was referring to. Not the fact that you thought his death was tragic.
posted by glenwood at 8:36 AM on January 9, 2002

ok, apologies for going a bit over the top in my reply to that too..

i can understand why some people do commit suicide.. I've had problems in the past that have led me down the self-harm, suicidal thoughts road, but luckily i'm out of that frame of mind nowadays.

more will become clear anyway.
posted by robzster1977 at 8:57 AM on January 9, 2002

And who paid for EVERY public enemy studio session and video, a major label.. How evil can they be if they make things like that happen?
they made public enema happen? totally and completely evil, thats how. i thought we were talking about music, not thug noize.
posted by quonsar at 10:07 AM on January 9, 2002

they made public enema happen? totally and completely evil, thats how. i thought we were talking about music, not thug noize.

Nice troll. You sound like a fifties dad decrying the evils of rock music.
posted by Skot at 10:11 AM on January 9, 2002

sorry, i couldn't let this go...

Leonard: "Who paid for all those videos? Who paid for all that everything? Labels, that's who.. "

wrong. every dime the labels spend on the artist is owed back to them out of the artists' paltry percentage that they get from royalties. read the albini article that quonsar linked to.
posted by swamptiger at 10:13 AM on January 9, 2002

Reading this, I feel this thread needs to be redirected. While I didn't hear Feeder's music, I'm always troubled by the pattern of suicides for musicians. If you include drug ODs (which many of them could be suicides also) there is a trememdously long list. Is it part of the condition of the musician to likely be suicidal? Could that be psychological contruct? Or is it just that famous musicians are reported, making it appear to be a larger % than the general pop?

Regardless, it is a shame.
posted by thekorruptor at 12:17 PM on January 9, 2002