Jason Slater, Third Eye Blind Bassist, Dead at 49

On Wednesday, outlets reported that Jason Slater, one of the original members of Third Eye Blind, has died. He was 49. According to TMZ, Slater's daughter, Alyssa Carlson, said that her father died on Wednesday from liver failure at a hospital in Maui. Carlson told the publication that Slater kept his condition a secret and noted that she found out about his illness in November when she got a call that he was in the hospital. A representative for Third Eye Blind told TMZ that even though they had not been in contact with Slater since 1996, "when a spirited member of the music scene is taken too soon it is always a sad time."

Slater was Third Eye Blind's bassist and backup vocalist when it formed back in 1993. He recorded the band's first demo but then left the group after the first year. Even though he left Third Eye Blind, Slater continued his career as a musician with several other bands. In addition to lending his vocals and talents to Third Eye Blind, Slater has also been a bassist, songwriter, and producer for bands such as Snake River Conspiracy, Microdot, Revenge of the Triads, and the rap-rock project Brougham. As fans are aware, Third Eye Blind has enjoyed much of its success after Slater left the band.

The band released their self-titled debut album in 1997, several years after Slater left. They released their second album, Blue, in 1997. While Slater moved on following his time with Third Eye Blind, he still kept the band on his mind, as he posted a video on YouTube in 2008 that showcased the group's very first recording session.

In light of this tragic news, several musicians have spoken out on the loss. Forbidden's guitarist Craig Locicero acknowledged Slater's death on Facebook by writing a lovely tribute to the late musician. His post began, "The world lost a force of human nature today. Jason Slater has left the building. I'm heartbroken. This hits me right in the gut." Locicero continued to fondly remember Slater, even recounting the first day that the two met back in 1994.

"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," he continued. "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."