Canadian musician Rich Priske, bass player in the Matthew Good Band, died Saturday. He was 52.
According to friends, Priske suffered a heart attack.
Priske played on the last two studio albums from the Matthew Good Band and on Good’s first three solo albums.
“My deepest condolences go out to his friends and family,” Good wrote in an Instagram post. “Rest In Peace Rich.”
Former Matthew Good Band guitarist Dave Genn, now in 54-40, remembered Priske as a “true talent” who was “solid as f**k on record, on stage, in person.”
In a Facebook post, Genn shared: “He was the guy sitting beside me in the van, the diner, the s**thole dressing room encouraging me to ‘Let It Rock!’ for a decade. We shared the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but mostly we shared laughs.
“What amazing, surreal, indescribable times we had. RIP my friend. You Let It Rock and left a huge mark.”
Priske, a Vancouver native who was known as Rich Rock, also performed with acts like Bif Naked, Art Bergmann and the Real McKenzies.
Barbara Sedun, a former executive at EMI Music Publishing Canada, said on Facebook she was “heartbroken” to learn of Priske’s death. “As long as I can remember he’s been synonymous with the Vancouver music scene,” she wrote. “Always a commanding presence on stage. Gone way too soon.”
This article has been updated since it was first published.