Wayne Swinny, one of the founding members of the band Saliva, was pronounced dead Wednesday after an apparent brain hemorrhage.
The band revealed earlier in the day that their guitarist had been admitted to the ICU and was battling for his life, TMZ reported.
“Wayne passed away this afternoon from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while on tour,” a rep for the band told the outlet.
The 59-year-old Swinny had originally been rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a “spontaneous hemorrhage” in his brain.
The band, founded in 1996, consists of musicians Bobby Amaru, Brad Stewart and Sammi Bishop.
“I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now,” said Amaru, the band’s lead singer.
“My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much,” he added.
Swinny was the only member of the band who had been with it consistently since its inception in 1996.
Saliva’s style was a blend of heavy metal with rap-like lyrics known as “Nu Metal.” Josey Scott, the band’s original lead singer, previously cited several hip-hop artists as influences on his writing and delivery.
Saliva’s last album, “10 Lives,” was released in 2018.
The band’s tour was scheduled to come to Fort Wayne, Ind., on Thursday and Wyandotte, Mich., on Friday.
