Vic Chesnutt in a coma after reported suicide attempt

Vic Chesnutt in a coma after reported suicide attempt
By Alex Young on December 24th, 2009



Vic Chesnutt, the critically acclaimed Athens, Georgia based singer/songwriter, is in a coma and currently finds himself battling for his life. His label, Constellation Records, confirmed the news earlier this evening:

“Vic is in the middle of a serious medical situation, he is in a coma, and his family and friends are with him,” said Constellation Records’ Don Wilkie in a statement. “We have no comment right now on the specifics other than that his doctors are continuing to assess his condition. We will issue a full statement at an appropriate time. In the interim, we request that everybody respect Vic’s privacy and that of his family.”

According to friend Kristin Hersh, the cause is believed to be a suicide attempt.

“Yeah, I can tell you what I know but no one knows much: another suicide attempt, looks bad, coma " if he survives, there may be brain damage,” Hersh wrote on her Twitter. An hour later, she added, “This time, it’s real scary: *this* time, he left a note, *this* time, he asked them to call me.”

The 45-year-old Chesnutt has been a paraplegic since the age of 18 and recently had been strugglingly to pay health bills. He told Spinner earlier this year that “right now, I am in huge trouble in that the hospital is suing me for $35,000 for payment, which is terrifying " and the rub is that I have health insurance.”

Chesnutt spent much of the latter part of the year touring in support of two new studio albums, At the Cut and Skitter on Take-Off. His resume also includes collaborations with the likes of R.E.M., Widespread Panic, Lambchop, Calexico, The Jayhawks, Fugazi, and, most recently, Elf Power.