Richard Swift, who played with the Black Keys and the Shins, passes away at 41
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Richard Swift, best known as a former member of indie rock band The Shins and The Arcs, has passed away from an unknown ailment, a statement on his Facebook page announced. He was only 41 years old.
The post was accompanied by a picture of Swift with the caption "And all the angels sing 'Que Sera Sera,'" a reference to Doris Day's popular song that translates to 'Whatever will be, will be.' The singer is said to have breathed his last in Tacoma, Washington, where he had previously been receiving care.
Swift is the founder, owner, and recording engineer of recording studio National Freedom and worked as a producer for the likes of The Shins, Foxygen, Jessie Baylin, Guster, Wake Owl, Mynabirds, and many more.
He was a former member of The Arcs, founded by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, going on to join the band as a touring bassist and backing singer.
Last month, Swift was hospitalized due to 'a life-threatening condition,' with a GoFundMe page set up to cover medical expenses collecting over $87,000 in the span of two weeks. While the story did not reveal his ailment, it said that the musician had been hospitalized due to a "serious medical condition" and that he was "receiving excellent care in Tacoma, Washington, and everything is being done to allow his body time to repair and heal."
An update on the page suggested that he had made progress in his recovery and that doctors were "impressed with the way he has been responding to the care he's been getting."
A brief note of thanks read: "I will continue to post updates here. Thank you again for all your donations! This campaign will not only help pay medical bills, your kind words and hope are very encouraging, it means the world to the whole family."
It appears now as though Swift's recovery had not been going as well as expected and the cause of his death is currently unclear. Our thoughts and prayers are with Swift's family and friends during this difficult time.