It’s Never the Jerks that Die

Posted by pixie | Filed under Uncategorized

Frank Navetta, a founding member of one of the most influential, and awesome, punk bands of all time, The Descendents, passed away on Halloween, last Friday. There are almost no details, beyond the fact that he became ill and died very suddenly. The band posted the following on their Web site:

“We’re very sorry to announce that founding member of The DESCENDENTS, and close friend Frank Navetta passed away on October 31, 2008 after becoming ill over the course of a few days. This is obviously a huge loss for the DESCENDENTS family. His contribution to the band, and to music in general can not be overstated. Frank will be truly missed. We will share information about memorial services when we find out.”

The Descendents are one of the first punk bands I got into when I was 12 or 13. They were one of those bands that I heard and said, “wow… these words make so much sense to me,” even  though it would be many, many years before I truly understood how someone could write a song like “Bikeage” or “Clean Sheets” and what that would feel like.  Or actually see how “Suburban Home” could play out with people I knew and loved. This band influenced so much of the music we listen to today. They were a staple of my teenage years… hell, I still keep them in heavy rotation.

I always think “rest in peace” sounds cheesy, but I’m not sure what other sentiments could be sent the way of Frank.