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Official Statement From Pennywise:
On July 29th, Jason Thirsk, the original bass player, songwriter & founding member of Pennywise died of what is considered to be a self-inflicted accidental gunshot wound. Although he was not performing with the band recently, his spirit was always with us & we hoped for him to return to the line-up soon. Jason's positive & uplifiting lyrics are what defined our band, and attracted fans to Pennywise all over the world. We loved him very much & he will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made "in memory of Jason Thirsk" to: Hermosa Beach Police Department D.A.R.E. Program 540 Pier Ave. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
Music News of The World: Former Pennywise bassist Jason Thirsk is dead of a gunshot wound. The body of the young musician, who had recently parted ways with the popular hardcore punk combo, was discovered at his Hermosa Beach home by his girlfriend on Monday evening (July 30). He was 27 years old. The body was found in the backyard, according to a Reuters report. Police believe it was a suicide. Thirsk had been depressed since leaving Pennywise--singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragee and drummer Byron McMackin--som e months ago, according to Detective Raul Saldana of the Hermosa police department. A spokeswoman at Epitaph Records, the L. A. record label that the band records for, said Thirsk was drunk when he died and his death was considered accidental. Saldana sai d "alcohol and stuff" was found at the time of death; a toxicology report will be released in a few weeks. Thirsk co-wrote songs with vocalist Jim Lindberg. He left the band because he didn't like to tour, but according to Epitaph, he was still considered a member of the band. Pennywise's most recent album, About Time, was released last year; it featured a time bomb on the cover. Based on the group's success to date, they are thought to be ready for the kind of broader success experienced by The Offspring (a former Epitaph band now signed to Columbia records) and Rancid.
