The musician and producer Richard Swift has died at the age of 41.
Swift was a regular collaborator with The Black Keys‘ frontman Dan Auerbach, having performed in both The Arcs and The Black Keys in recent years. He was also a member of The Shins from 2011 to 2016.
A representative for Swift confirmed that he passed away in Tacoma, Washington in the early hours of July 3.
Swift was hospitalised with a “serious medical condition” last month, and a GoFundMe campaign was subsequently launched to cover the cost of his medical bills.
On July 9, the family and management of the late musician posted a statement to his Facebook page which confirmed the cause of his death.
“Yes, Richard Swift suffered from alcohol addiction, and it’s ultimately what took his life. With the support of family and friends and the assistance of MusiCares, Richard had checked himself into rehab for multiple stays over the past two years, but his body gave out before he could overcome the disease.
“He was diagnosed with hepatitis and liver and kidney distress in June. Multiple hospitals worked to help stabilise him over the course of that month, but his body was unable to heal and, per his wishes and with his family’s consent, he was moved to hospice care.
“Richard passed in the early morning of July 3, 2018 in a hospice facility in Tacoma, WA. He is survived by his wife Shealynn and their three children Madison, Adrian & Kennedy.”
An update:We are grateful to the many fans, friends, artists and collaborators who have shared their thoughts, love…
Posted by Richard Swift on Monday, July 9, 2018
Dan Auerbach paid tribute to Swift in a Instagram post on July 3 following the news of his death, hailing Swift as “one of the most talented musicians I know”.
As well as his work with The Black Keys, The Shins and The Arcs, Swift produced for the likes of Foxygen, Sharon Van Etten and Guster during his career.
He also released music as a solo artist, with his last full solo release coming in 2009 under the name ‘The Atlantic Ocean’ – watch the video for his track ‘Lady Luck’ below.
Tributes to Swift were posted on social media in the wake of his death – you can see a selection of the messages below.
r.i.p. richard swift. so many genius records because of you. truly heartbreaking 🙁
— cale tyson (@caletyson) July 3, 2018
Richard Swift was @JessieBaylin musical soul mate and could not have been a kinder soul. There will always be a special place in our hearts and memories for the one and only Walt Wolfman. RIP Swifty
— nathan followill (@doctorfollowill) July 3, 2018
rip richard swift 🙁 way too young
— Whitney (@whitneytheband) July 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/worldbofree/status/1014161608938020864
So many of us who knew Richard Swift are thinking of his Wife and Daughters, and sending our love and compassion to them in our own private ways. Hoping that somehow that love can be felt by them in what I can only imagine to be a black hole of grief. pic.twitter.com/UabZJORAtm
— Ray LaMontagne (@RayLaMontagne) July 4, 2018
Sad to see Richard Swift go so young… Loved this song: https://t.co/1otMmfyNvl
— AT EASE • Adriaan Pels (@atease) July 3, 2018
Very sad to hear that Richard Swift has died. Sending much love to his family, friends and community https://t.co/K4t67Yerb8
— colin meloy (@colinmeloy) July 3, 2018
A sad day in the world of music: the sudden passing of Richard Swift. Great producer, instrumental to so many strong artists, but also a wonderful songwriter himself. Hear his double opus “The Novelist / Walking without effort”. He will be missed and heard for times to come. ❤️
— Sondre Lerche (@SondreLerche) July 3, 2018