Jay Bennett
Jay Walter Bennett (November 15, 1963 – May 24, 2009) was an American multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the band Wilco from 1994 to 2001.
This article is about the musician. For the author, see Jay Bennett (author).
Jay Bennett
Jay Walter Bennett
November 15, 1963
Rolling Meadows, Illinois, U.S.
May 24, 2009 (aged 45)
Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
Alternative country, garage rock, Americana, pop, rock, experimental
1991–2009
Biography[edit]
Early life and work with Wilco[edit]
Jay Bennett was born November 15, 1963, in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago.[1]
Bennett was a founding member of Titanic Love Affair. The band recorded three albums in the 1990s: Titanic Love Affair (1991), No Charisma (EP, 1992), and Their Titanic Majesty's Request (1996). He also played guitar with Steve Pride and His Blood Kin and Gator Alley.
Nearing a master's degree in education at the University of Illinois, Bennett became a classroom teacher at Urbana Junior High, first as a substitute in 1985. Bennett was a full-time middle-school math teacher in 1986 at the then redesignated Urbana Middle School. He also worked for several years as an electronics technician for a local audio-video repair store.
From 1994 through 2001 Bennett was a member of Wilco. Conflicts between front man Jeff Tweedy and Bennett that would contribute to Bennett's split with Wilco are visible in the Sam Jones film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco. Although Bennett sought to act as both mixer and engineer for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Tweedy was unsure of Bennett's abilities against those of producer Jim O'Rourke. Bennett claimed he "tried to stay away from the mixing, having been reminded that Jim didn't like a lot of folks around when he was mixing."[2] Tweedy and Bennett frequently argued over whether the album should be accessible to a general listener, or attempt to cover new musical ground.[3] Unbeknownst to Bennett, Tweedy invited O'Rourke to remix "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", and the results impressed the other band members – even Bennett. Tensions grew between Bennett and O'Rourke because Bennett wanted to play a more integral role regarding the mixing of the album. O'Rourke cut the contributions of other members on several of the songs; some songs, such as "Poor Places", only featured the Loose Fur trio of Tweedy, O'Rourke and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche.[4] Bennett claimed he contributed organ, guitars, and the "Noiz section" to "Poor Places".[5] The album was completed in 2001, and Bennett was dismissed from the band immediately afterwards.[6]
Solo career[edit]
After leaving Wilco, Bennett released five solo albums. The first, entitled The Palace at 4 am, was a collaboration with Champaign musician Edward Burch. 2004's Bigger Than Blue was a more stripped-down set of personal songs. In the same year he released The Beloved Enemy, which saw Bennett exploring his personal turmoil in even more intimate detail. The Magnificent Defeat was released by Ryko Records in September 2006. He released Whatever Happened I Apologize in November 2008 on rockproper.com. Bennett had been working on a sixth record, titled Kicking at the Perfumed Air.[7] It was released posthumously for free on May 24, 2010, on the Jay Bennett Foundation's website.
In addition to his popularity in Wilco and as a solo performer, Bennett also played on albums by Sheryl Crow, Allison Moorer, Sherry Rich and Billy Joe Shaver, produced Michelle Anthony's 2004 release, "Stand Fall Repeat", West of Rome's 2005 release, "Drunk Tank Decoy",[8] and Blues Traveler's 2005 release, ¡Bastardos!. Bennett mixed the album Double Barrel by Chicago country-rock band Old No. 8.
Later life and death[edit]
In May 2009, Bennett sued Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy for breach of contract stemming from his work for Wilco.[9] The suit came less than two weeks after Bennett publicly revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery which he could not afford due to his health insurance considering the situation a "pre-existing condition."[10]