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Memphis rocker Jay Reatard died in his sleep early this morning, reports the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. He was 29.
Goner Records, the Memphis label that released records by Reatard and many of the projects in which he played, including The Reatards and Lost Sounds, released this announcement this afternoon: “It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our good friend Jay Reatard . . . We will pass along information about funeral arrangements when they are made public.”
Reatard was found dead in his bed around 3:30 a.m. today. The cause of death has not been determined, but there will be a police investigation, according to the Commercial-Appeal.
Last year, Reatard attempted to find a wider audience with the album Watch Me Fall, released by Matador records.
Reatard, born Jimmy Lee Lindsey, was known for his colorful posts on Twitter, including one late last year in which he slammed the former members of his backing band, who had just quit. His most recent tweet came on Monday afternoon in which he offered $100 per tire to anyone who would pop the tires on the van of a band called Liquor Store. The tweet was punctuated with, “Yes, I’m serious.”
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