Karl's Corner - 10/08/2011 (b)

2011/10/08 our friend Mikey Welsh 1971-2011 R.I.P.

Mikey Welsh 1971-2011

Dear friends and fans,
It saddens me and the guys in Weezer so much to say that our beautiful, creative, hilarious and sweet friend Mikey Welsh has passed away at the very young age of 40. A unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father, and a great artist is gone, but we will never forget him. His chapter in the weezer story ('98 - '01) was vital, essential, wild, and amazing.

Mikey was never one to shy away from the absurd, dangerous or strange, and he did so with a gusto few others had. No one had quite the stage presence of Mikey, nor have there been many who pulled the types of shenanigans he did at shows. If it rocked, he had to try it - and he always found a way to pull it off.

When he emerged from his nervous breakdown that spelled his exit from the rock n roll world, he took on a new role as an astonishing and pure visual artist. It was a glorious flowering of a talent he always possessed, but he had chosen to rock out first, paint later. Our more recent meet-ups at weezer shows, including recently at the Weezer/Flaming Lips show at Jones Beach were always a great time. We will miss him terribly. Our deepest heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. The world has lost a truly one of a kind guy.

...Tomorrow we play the RIOTfest in Chicago as planned - Mikey was planning on attending this show and we were looking forward to seeing him again. As sad as it is to think about, we know Mikey would never want the rock stopped on his account - quite the contrary in fact. While we wont see him, we know he will be there rocking out with us!

Mikey's website: see his art.

Mikey's Facebook page - see more art, and his writings - including some wild weez related stories from back in the day...

Mikeys Twitter page.

"...hello hello.. so i'm going on my first vacation in quite a long time.. very stoked.. first i'm off to nashville, to be photographed working on a big painting by a very good friend of mine [we'll get some shots up here eventually] .. and then off to chicago, to see the mighty =w= rock out.. i'm excited to see the boys, hang out and have some fun.. so everyone take care.. i'll be posting some weird random sh*t up here [as usual] over the next 9 days or so..... love--m."

---from Mikeys Facebook page, 10/01/11

Photo above taken in Nashville October 3rd by Mikey's friend Jordan Vittitow.