Rick Froberg, a staple of the San Diego music scene who helped headline multiple successful bands, has died at age 55, his longtime collaborator announced.
Froberg, the frontman of Drive Like Jehu and later Hot Snakes, died Friday of natural causes, according to an Instagram statement from guitarist John Reis.
“His art made life better,” Reis wrote. “The only thing he loved more than art and rock n roll was his friends. He will forever be remembered for his creativity, vision and his ability to bring beauty into this world. I love you, Rick. I will miss you for the rest of my life.”
Froberg first joined forces with Reis for the band Pitchfork, which launched in 1986 out of San Diego. With Froberg on vocals, the band released a three-song EP, “Saturn Outhouse” in 1989 and a full-length album, “Eucalyptus,” the following year.
Pitchfork disbanded in 1990, paving the way for Froberg and Reis to form Drive Like Jehu that year. The band enjoyed a successful run during the first half of the decade, releasing two studio albums, “Drive Like Jehu” and “Yank Crime,” before breaking up in 1995.
Froberg and Reis united once again in 1999 to form their longest-running group, Hot Snakes. The band released three albums and an extended play during its original run before disbanding in 2005. Hot Snakes got back together in 2011 and most recently released an album, “Jericho Sirens,” in 2018.
Sub Pop, the record label behind “Jericho Sirens,” mourned Froberg’s death in an Instagram tribute Sunday, writing, “We are crushed.”
“His voice floored us, shook us, carried us, and connected us,” the Sub Pop post reads. “And aside from being one of the greats, he was hilarious and a really good friend.”
Drive Like Jehu had also reunited in recent years for performances, including at the 2015 Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif.
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