Van Conner, co-founder and bassist of the defunct grunge band Screaming Trees, died Tuesday at 55.
His brother Gary Lee Conner wrote in a Facebook post that “it was pneumonia that got him in the end” after “an extended illness.” Earlier this month, Gary wrote that Van was hospitalized "with a liver infection" and had been suffering from "an array of health problems since late 2021."
Mark Pickerel, the band’s original drummer, tweeted: “Let us lower the flannel flag to half-mast, while we celebrate the life of my dear friend and bandmate.”
Another founding member of Screaming Trees, singer Mark Lanegan, died last February at 57.
Screaming Trees released seven studio albums between 1986 and 1996 and then called it quits in 2000. One final album, Last Words: The Final Recordings, was released in 2011.
Conner remained active as a session musician and performed with his brother Patrick Conner in VALIS. He also released a solo album in 2019.
"We will miss Van Conner, s**t," read a tweet on the Dinosaur Jr. account. "I’m gonna listen to his LP. I suggest you do the same, and think about what an awesome person he was."