The founding drummer of the rock band Staind, Jon Wysocki, has died at the age of 56.
Wysocki died Saturday night, according to his band, Lydia's Castle, which posted on Instagram that the drummer “passed away surrounded by family and friends who loved him deeply.” The post included an earlier photo of the bandmates in a group hug, with Wysocki's signature silver mullet glistening in the light.
Lydia's Castle guitarist and co-founder Cody Denton told The Times on Monday that Wysocki suffered “complications with his liver and other organs.” A friend of Wysocki posted Saturday morning on Facebook that the musician was in the ICU, but his friends and family were hopeful that he would still recover. But his health deteriorated rapidly.
The drummer, who never married, is survived by his fiancée, Shannon Fox, his son and a sister.
Fans and former colleagues posted tributes to the drummer online. “He was my friend. He was our brother. My heart is broken. My world has changed,” Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis wrote while remembering Wysocki on social media platform X. “The battles we fought together. The battles we fight against each other.”
Staind was founded by core members Lewis, Wysocki, Mike Mushok and Johnny April in 1995 in the New England area. The band reached its peak in the early 2000s. Staind's third album, “Break the Cycle”, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard top 200 in 2001.
Subsequent albums, “14 Shades of Gray” and “Chapter V,” would also top the American music charts and receive platinum certification from the Recording Industry Assn. from America. According to the New England Music Museum, the band sold nearly 15 million copies of their seven albums in total, making Staind one of the most commercially successful hard rock bands in recent history.
In 2011, after 17 years with the band, Wysocki left, citing creative differences with his colleagues. He continued his musical career, touring and recording with bands such as Soil and Save the World before finding his most recent creative partners in another indie rock band, Lydia's Castle, based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tonya LeeAnne, leader and co-founder of Lydia's Castle, recalled in an interview with The Times that it was “love at first sight” when she and Denton met Wysocki at a rehearsal after the band called for a drummer in 2021. “[The] the chemistry was so immediate and natural,” LeeAnne said. “It takes years to have chemistry like that with people.” Wysocki's beat became the heartbeat of his new band.
At first they were surprised that a musician of Wysocki's caliber would be willing to commit to a fledgling group. Denton said Wysocki had a majestic presence and at the same time was humble.
He said that the first time he saw Wysocki behind his drums, “he looked like a king sitting on a throne.” He seemed to exude wisdom, Denton said. It wasn't just Wysocki's drumming and songwriting skills, but also his patience in handling the inevitable clash of personalities in his four-person band.
And whether it was meeting a fan or offering advice to other musicians, Denton said Wysocki showed kindness and patience. “He gave himself completely to everyone around him and his support was unwavering,” Denton added.
Wysocki was so committed to Lydia's Castle that he tattooed the band's crown logo prominently on his chest, LeeAnne said. “And we thought, 'Oh, man, I guess he's not really going away.'”
Like that ink, the mark Wysocki left on his friends at Lydia's Castle is lasting, Denton said.
“Without it, I'm sure we'd still be trying to figure out what we're supposed to do,” he said. “He legitimized Lydia Castle from the beginning.”
