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Tributes have been paid to Jason Slater, the original bassist in rock band Third Eye Blind, who has died at the age of 49.
His daughter Alyssa confirmed that Slater died from liver failure at a hospital in Maui, as TMZ reports.
Jason Slater, who was also a frequent producer for Queensrÿche, was the band’s original bassist and back-up vocalist but did not appear on any of the band’s album. He was a member from 1993 to 1994 and recording their first demo.
He left the group before they achieved major success with their 1997 self-titled debut – which went on to become six-times platinum.
While the band hadn’t spoken with Slater since 1996, a rep told TMZ that “When a spirited member of the music scene is taken too soon, it is always a sad time.”
The world lost a force of human nature today. Jason Slater has left the building. I’m heartbroken. This hits me right…
Posted by Craig Locicero on Wednesday, December 9, 2020
After leaving Third Eye Blind, Slater went on to form Snake River Conspiracy and Revenge of the Triads – which also featured Queens of the Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen.
Paying tribute, Craig Locicero, the former guitarist of thrash metal outfit Forbidden, wrote: “I’m heartbroken. This hits me right in the gut. From the first day I met Jason at the Music Annex when Forbidden was recording ‘Distortion’ in 1994, we hit it off. Madden and music was our bond.
“As time went on, Jason did some pretty amazing things in his allotted slot of life. Jason was a successful producer, engineer, record label mogul, songwriter, musician, manager and partying animal all the while.
“Dude lived the life of 100 men. Much of it on the edge. However, Jason’s greatest strength and trait was his heart. He was full of love. Loved his family. Loved his daughter. Loved his friends. Loved us all like crazy.”
Sad to hear about the passing of one of my musical mentors, Jason Slater. I interned for Jason for about a year. During our time working together we composed music for TV, produced albums, and wrote tons of songs together. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/U15WhzOMkS
— Danny Codella (@mrcodella) December 9, 2020
The tribute continued: “I loved him. Dearly. We spent a lot of time together over the last few years. Starting with when he pulled me in to recording the guitars on Geoff Tate’s Queensrÿche record. Jason challenged me to rewrite everything that was already there on the spot. To put as much myself as I could into it. Because that’s all the time we had.
“Challenge accepted. That experience made me stronger. Jason made me better. As a person and a musician. I owe him so much. He was a Brother to me.”
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