Mazzy Star Co-Founder David Roback Dead at 61
by Scott Russell | Paste | February 25, 2020
Producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter David Roback, best-known for co-founding Mazzy Star alongside vocalist Hope Sandoval, has died, a rep for the band announced late Tuesday. Roback was 61 years old.
The musician’s cause of death was not disclosed. A brief obituary for Roback reads:
Roback played a leading role in the neo-psychedelic revival of the 1980s and ‘90s, which in turn led to the explosion in the underground music scene, and came to be known as indie rock and alternative music.
Often compared to other experimental producers and musicians such as Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett and Bert Jansch, Roback—who was also the co-founder of the band Opal—was regarded as a highly creative and sensitive guitarist who collaborated with many other artists as producer, songwriter and player.
Roback was also well-known for his encyclopedic intellect, and for his involvement with the arts, design and cinema.
Born in Los Angeles in California in 1958, David Roback lived and worked primarily in California and Europe.
Mazzy Star’s last release was 2018’s Still EP, which in turn followed their 2013 LP Seasons of Your Day, then the band’s first new album in 17 years. The psych-folk/dream-pop pioneers are still best-known for their massive 1993 hit “Fade Into You.”
In addition to his output as part of Mazzy Star and Opal, Roback also performed with Rain Parade and Rainy Day.
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Cool band. Great songs. Evocative, ambient, everything. RIP.