Rest in peace, Johnny Solinger. The singer — who was formerly a part of the band Skid Row — has died. He was 55.
The news comes less than two months after Solinger shared he had been diagnosed with liver failure. Skid Row confirmed Solinger’s death on Instagram on Saturday, but did not reveal his cause of death.
“We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans,” began a message from Skid Row members Rachel Bolan, ZP Theart, Snake Sabo, Rob Hammersmith and Scotti Hill.
“Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us,” the statement added, referencing Solinger’s late grandfather, Willard Jesse “Scrappy” Smith. Scrappy served as the inspiration for Solinger’s solo album Scrappy Smith, according to Billboard.
Solinger joined Skid Row as its lead vocalist in 1999, replacing Sebastian Bach. He was part of the group for over 15 years, until 2015, after which he was replaced by former TNT singer Tony Harnell.
Solinger opened up about his health on Facebook on May 8.
“It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalized for over the last month,” he wrote. “I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good.”
“I am currently under at least seven different medications and I need to have my abdomen drained off fluid that gets accumulated every couple of days. I have lost a lot of strength and will require physical therapy as well,” he continued.
A friend of Solinger’s subsequently created a GoFundMe page to help with his medical bills. Solinger’s wife, Paula Marcenaro, was cited in an update to the page on Sunday.
“Update from Paula….Johnny has passed. I was holding his hand. He went in peace. Thank you all,” the statement read. “I will take a break from everything but please know I am forever grateful for your love.”
