Former Skid Row singer Johnny Solinger has died at 55. The rocker’s passing comes only a month after announcing he was diagnosed with liver failure, passing on Saturday. Brian Lawrence, the organizer of the GoFundMe for the late singer, shared a message from his partner Paula. “Update from Paula….Johnny has passed. I was holding his hand. He went in peace. Thank you all. I will take a break from everything but please know I am forever grateful for your love.”
Skid Row released a statement announcing the passing of Solinger in a post on their social media. “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
The late singer launched a GoFundMe in May when announcing the grim liver diagnosis. As with many today, he was forced to reach out to fans to cover medical costs. “It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health. I have been hospitalised for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good. As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it’s very difficult to get proper care without it.”
The Scrappy mentioned in the tributes is Willard Jesse “Scrappy” Smith, the singer’s late grandfather and the inspiration for the title of Solinger’s solo album. The late singer joined Skid Row in 1999 as a replacement for the band’s original lead singer Sebastian Bach.
He stayed with the band until 2015 when he was replaced by Tony Harnell. Despite being fired, he is remembered as the voice on some of Skid Row’s more successful albums. Former Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan also shared a tribute to the late singer on Instagram, echoing the band’s sentiments. “RIP Singo. Get yourself a piece of pie with Scrappy.”
“Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my brother in music Johnny Solinger,” Slash bassist Todd Kearns wrote. “He was a big, bold flash of life. He will be dearly missed. Keep the mic warm for me when I get up there so we can rock together once more.”
According to Deadline, of the time of his passing, the GoFundMe had raised over $16,000 for his medical bills. The goal has changed since, pushing to raise funds to cover his funeral costs.
