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The man on the right died in his sleep. His last public act was to sue the man on his left.

As seen in the film I am Trying to Break Your Heart, Jay Bennett and Jeff Tweedy’s relationship deteriorated during the recording of their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (part 4) and Bennett was “asked to leave the band”(part 8).

Bennett never reached the  success he saw with Wilco, and while the band has achieved great popularity since his departure in 2001, they moved away from the studio experimentation Bennett was known for and contributed to the acclaimed they received for YHF.  The record is considered by many critics as the best album of its decade.

A month before his death, Bennett filed suit against Tweedy in Cook County Circuit Court claiming he deserves money from the band’s 2002 documentary, and asked for at least $50,000 in damages.

At the time of his death, Bennett was in the process of securing funds for a hip-replacement procedure, attempting to pay for the surgery out of pocket, which may have also motivated the suit.

After his death, Tweedy released a statement that read, “We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him — as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band’s songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time.”

Tests showed that Bennett died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a drug often prescribed to treat chronic pain.

Possibly related 2008 post:

From the book “Wilco: Learning How to Die”
When Farar and Tweedy finally confronted each other in their Belleville apartement a day later, emotions and misgivings that had been suppressed for the good of the band, for the sake of the music, came undone. Voices were raised until these two soft-spoken roommates were screaming at close range.

Tweedy : “Tell me to my face…Why do you hate me?
Farrar squared up with the person he’d been playing in bands with for twelve years. “You don’t know what it’s like to stand onsatge with somebody every night who loves themselves as much as you do.”

“You’re right, I don’t have any idea.”

…and that was the end of Uncle Tupelo

From Wikipedia:

Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group’s first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo’s sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of Belleville.

Matt rated Being There 5 out of 5 stars.

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