Rolling Stone reports that he died today due to complications from multiple sclerosis. Entertainment Weekly adds that he passed away “in a northern California hospital.” We’ll see what we can get.
UPDATE: Assistant Coroner Charlie Van Buskirk that Beefheart died at Mad River Hospital early this morning. He knows this only because hospital staff called him with a procedural question at around 6 a.m.
This article appears in Top 10 Stories.
He and Frank be jammin’ in Hebben…
RIP.
Thanks for posting the Captain Beefheart documentary, Hank. I wonder if any of his paintings will ever show around here? I remember grabbing an issue of the New Yorker several years back and finding inside the Goings On About Town section that his paintings were on display in a gallery during the same time Morris Graves was on display in another New York City gallery. While his paintings have shown in places like New York and Frankfurt, it would be something to see them take over the Morris Graves or First Street Gallery. Maybe, a new museum in Trinidad?
What a fabulous documentary. Thank you for sharing it! As a former member of the Humboldt community, I remember this man and often wondered who he was. I felt intrigued by him. He had a brilliance and an anti-social flair (if one can have flair and be anti-social. lol) to him. I wanted to know more, but never found out. Until now. Captain Beefheart has gained a new fan. What a life he lived!
Awesome to see Frank back making a few statements. It’s with Zappa that I remember Capt Beefheart….Yeah Susie, them 2 truly will be jammin’ in Hebben now!!!
thanks Hank.
RIP Mr. Van Vliet.
He will be missed. Here’s the only local musical reference I’ve seen from him – a poster for a gig in 1981: http://www.beefheart.com/datharp/pictures/pepperposter.htm
Check out the split-fountain poster that Rick Griffin did for a Captain Beefheart show.
They did a bit on the BBC. RIP.
What a shame to hear this sad news. His proximity to Zappa only meant he shared the honor with a lot of exceptionally talented artists and musicians.
Rest in peace, Captain.
Don was a very unassuming guy who generally kept to himself. He lived in Humboldt County for as long as I can remember, and I moved here in 1976. Humboldt hosts many artists and musicians, they just aren’t all as famous as he was. I lived up in Trinidad for a spell and knew where his house was, but never bothered him and his wife. Don fought MS for quite some time, but it finally got the best of him. he will be fondly remembered as a good neighbor, a fine artist, and a pioneer in music.
dear bob, saw you at the top hat movie and talked about captain beefheart, what a great player. you can contact me on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/alumbrados or on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/bolontikuband or look on facebook for geoffrey cline dreyer i looked for your facebook page and could not find it. look at my bio and tell me about a music story, do you need a gig here in humboldt to get a story. or can it just be compelling, see what i have done and i am going to do in the furture thanks geoff
A shame that this story about the dear departed Don keeps getting hacked with erectile dysfunction posts.
Any way to stop them?