Saliva guitarist Wayne Swinny has died aged 59 after suffering a brain haemorrhage on tour.
The Grammy-nominated heavy metal group’s only original member left in the band was found in “medical distress” on Tuesday morning (21.03.23) before being transported to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a “Spontaneous Haemorrhage ” and placed in the ICU.
The ‘Click Click Boom’ band had been due to perform in Pittsburgh that evening.
A statement read: “Our dear brother Wayne Swinny was discovered Tuesday morning in medical distress and paramedics were called. He was transported to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Haemorrhage in his brain. He is currently in the ICU as we await further news. We ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers at this time.”
It was later confirmed that Wayne had tragically passed away.
A press statement issued on Wednesday (22.03.23) began: “It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Wayne Swinny, the guitarist of Saliva.”
Frontman Bobby Amaru has shared a heartbreaking tribute, in which he called Wayne the “older brother I never had”.
He said: “I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now. My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much. He was a Guitar Hero onstage with all the Rock ‘N’ Roll swag that most guitar players dream of. Offstage he was a proud father, an Ancient Aliens expert, and an incredible human who had zero enemies! He would go out of his way to make sure you had a good time. I’m grateful that I got to share almost 12 years of my life with Wayne on the stage and most importantly off the stage. He was the older brother I never had. I learned so much from him and we had a f****** blast together! I will cherish it all for the rest of my life! God Bless you Wayne. I know we’ll meet again!!”
Salvia was formed by Wayne, Josey Scott Sappington, Todd Poole, Dave Novotny and Chris D’Abaldo in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996.
The band released 11 albums, their most recent being 2018’s ’10 Lives’.
They were on tour in support of their latest single, 2022’s ‘High On Me’.