Rick Froberg, Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu frontman, dies aged 55
The vocalist and guitarist Rick Froberg, who is known for fronting post-hardcore bands like Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, has passed away at the age of 55.
Froberg’s longtime collaborator in both bands, John Reis, took to Instagram to confirm his death. He wrote: “Rick passed away suddenly last night [June 30th] from natural causes. His art made life better. The only thing he loved more than art and rock n roll was his friends.”
Concluding his message by adding: “He will forever be remembered for his creativity, vision and his ability to bring beauty into this world. I love you, Rick. I will miss you for the rest of my life.”
The duo’s first collaboration arose in the late 1980s when the Los Angeles-born musicians formed Pitchfork. They released two post-hardcore albums under this guise from 1989 to 1990, with Froberg providing vocals and visual art for the album covers.
The duo then transitioned towards more of an emo sound when they formed Drive Like Jehu. They were active for five years with this moniker and gained a large following in the California area. This ensured that they were signed to a major label, and Interscope Records put out their album Yank Crime in 1994.
Following a hiatus, Froberg went on to form Hot Snake. While this might have been Froberg’s longest-running outfit, he also had scattered involvements in other projects such as Obits and Rocket from the Crypt.
While in recent years, Froberg’s involvement in music has been fleeting, Drive Like Jehu did reunite for a string of performances in 2014 and even played Coachella in 2015. They then went on to curate a new festival.
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