Ottawa musician Tyler Hay died this week of a suspected drug overdose – only days before he was to start a U.S. tour with Canadian punk rock bank Letdown.
Police in the capital believe fentanyl-laced cocaine was a factor in six overdoses and three deaths, including Hay's, in a 14-hour period on Monday.
Hay, who played guitar in metalcore band Southpaw, recently shared on Facebook that he was “super excited to hit the road with LETDOWN filling in for guitar this spring!” The Oshawa, Ont. band’s tour was scheduled to begin Thursday in Detroit.
Southpaw shared: “There aren't many words in our language that can describe loss this great, and pain this acute. Farewell [Tyler] our brother, our best friend, and the main reason we are a band in the first place. We'll meet again on the other side.”
Hay’s bandmates will headline a show on April 14 to help his family with funeral costs. Support workers from Ottawa Inner City Health will be there to distribute Narcan kits. Other bands are raising funds for Hay’s family with an April 7 show at Mavericks.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up “to help his father in lessening the financial burden.”
Diamond Mine Agency, which represented Southpaw, tweeted: “You will be missed by the entire city. You were a true beauty with so much passion and we’re more then (sic) thankful we got to work with you over these past years.
“You will be missed but never forgotten brother.”