News > Sparklehorse
Mark Linkous AKA Sparklehorse Takes His Own Life
By Johnny Firecloud
Monday, March 8, 2010
Mark Linkous, better known by his recording moniker Sparklehorse, took his own life with a gun Saturday (March 6) outside a friend’s house.
The Virginia singer-songwriter’s family released a short statement on sparklehorse.com: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today. We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.”
The majority of Linkous’ recorded material centers on suffering, a reflection of the past 15 years of his life. In 1996, while touring in support of Radiohead, an overdose combination of alcohol and drugs left Linkous unconscious for over 14 hours, with his legs pinned underneath his body. After suffering a near-fatal heart attack, when he was revived he was confined to a wheelchair for six months and his legs required multiple surgeries so he could walk again.
Linkous showed new spark and promise in recent years, however. He released what’s considered his best work to date in 2006: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain. Two years later, Linkous contributed to the high-profile compilation Nightmare Revisited, featuring songs from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas.
Just last week, word of Linkous’ long-delayed David Lynch & Danger Mouse collaboration – entitled Dark Night of the Soul - would finally be released this summer after a protracted legal battle.
Linkous released the first Sparklehorse album, Vivadixies…, in 1995, going on to release three further albums under the name – including the highly-praised 2001 LP It’s A Wonderful Life. He was working on a new Sparklehorse album that had nearly reached completion and was set to be released by the Anti- record label.
Writing on Radiohead.com, guitarist Jonny Greenwood paid tribute and outlined the importance of Linkous’ music.
“I was very sad to hear the news that Mark Linkous has died. He and his band toured with us in Europe, at the start of OK Computer, and they were great every night,” he recalled.
“His first two records were very important to me, and I carried his music from the tour into my life, and my friends’ lives too. He was softly spoken, with an old south courtesy I hadn’t heard before: he introduced me to Daniel Johnston’s music, and the West Virginian writing of Pinckney Benedict. Mark wrote and played some beautiful music, and we’re lucky to have it. Rest in peace.”
Lots of people kill themselves, but outside a friends house? Sounds so random.
Yeah, there’s gotta be more to that story.
Money isn’t everything, but that whiny bitch seemed like he needed a kick in the ass, hard to tell someone with alcohol dependancy or depression that they don’t realize how lucky they are but he obviously didn’t. Best wishes to his family and friends, but FUCK… from what I’ve read the guy was overdramatizing his own life.
Don’t flip at me, but we all know someone who slugs it out for tiny amounts of money, and deals with hardships and shit day to day who can find a reason to live.
Now you’ve piqued my interest – I know very little about the man. Got any links to support those comments?
Just what I’ve read from album reviews, his dark side came from dealing with his car accident and such, and I also read that he was once overdosed on valium and a mix of other pills. It was obviously a mental health issue that he had no control of, my mom suffered from depression, and psychosis so I understand one cannot not simply tell themselves their life is great. Just had a bad day and wish for one day for my music to be heard when I’m older, just angry that this guy just threw it away. And we have yet to see why he actually killed himself, we don’t know his personal life, so we can only guess.
I saw this comment on the New York Times report online and thought that maybe, he was looking for a spot in history before his release. Who knows.
Now that I am dead; my agent finally said he
wanted to have lunch with me.
Now that I’m deceased, my record
sales increased; I’m making lots of royalties.
Now that I’ve expired; my pictures in
Enquires; psychics will claim to contact me.
Now that I have kicked the Rolling Stone has picked;
my record is the best to be..
Now that I push dasies, lawyers who are lazy
are now busy negotiating deals.
Now that I am boxed; they will say my music rocked.
It’s taken on a new appeal.
Too bad my genius was discovered.
After my coffin had been covered.
But I’m grateful to eternity.
My video is now on MTV.
I always thought death was so rash. Except now
I’m making lots of cash.
Now that I am dead, I’m finally
making a living.
I honestly dont know a damn thing about the guy. But god knows I fight with my demons every damn day. Music and art is my weapon of choice, but there are days Im happy just to make it out alive. Suicide is one of the most selfish things that you can ever do, and Im not condoning it. But I cant bring myself to be mad at anyone who did it. There are times when it looks like the only way out.
I want to see if there is anymore to this story.
Great comments, peeps.
I want to learn more about this guy now.
Ive been kicking around the idea of sharing this with you guys for the past few days now. Fuck it, its relevant to me, and I think to the subject. Last year was pretty much hell on earth for me (blah blah loved and lost blah blah) but I wont go into that here. I got it in my brain that I should just end the damn game and stop suffering… So Im sitting at my desk with a 12 gauge carefully angled to take the top of my head off. Im scared outta my damn mind and shaking like a girl on her prom night about to do it, when (what I call) a miracle happened. I had iTunes on random in the background as usual just for background noise (that was before I sat down and really listened to music) and Pearl Jams cover of Love, Reign O’er Me came on. I had heard it before, but I never really HEARD it if you know what I mean. Right then, it pierced the dark cloud I had surrounded myself in and I got a glimpse of the light. This isnt a “I found Jesus” story. Fuck that. This is a I Found Music story. Its cliche, but I honestly couldnt give a shit less. Music saved my life.
So in conclusion thats where I got my view on suicide. I cant fault someone for doing it. Hell I almost did. This guy was obviously very troubled. Im saddened that he didnt have anything to stop him before the end, something to give him another reason to live.
Powerful stuff, man. Glad you made it through – and you’re damned right about that cover. I’m the fool who far prefers it to the original. Oh, and we greatly encourage everyone else to share some of their deepest, darkest toes-over-the-edge shit with us as well. We’re honored to be your music confessional. Let’s purge together.
Its sharing time? I almost jumped off my carport roof outside my window last month after smashing my guitar against the wall with Beirut Moon by Stiff Little Finger blasting in my bedroom. It was like 2pm, and I was struggling to deal with my mother’s cancer and just all this other stress that had been accumulating. When I came back inside to my dad storming towards me screaming “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! You’re mum has cancer you fucking idiot! Why do you have to waste everyone elses lives you selfish fucker.” I almost had a mental breakdown that day. Not sure how this relates to music, but oh well. Gonna go check out Sparklehorse, nice piece johnny
I hear you on the cancer thing Shh. My senior year my dad had somekinda horrible case of pancreatic cancer. That year i was offered upwards of 50k in scholarships to the Cincinnati School of Art and Design. It was pretty much a dream come true. They loved my paintings and drawings and they were excited to get me in some classes. But my dad was horribly ill and I sure as fuck wasnt going to move to Ohio from Maryland and dread a phone call saying hes dead. So I told them sorry but no. That was hard. And suddenly I was 18 and man of the house. What the hell, I totally wasnt ready for that. And now its 2010. And I still havent gone to art school. It sortof derailed all my plans. But thats life.
wow, thats really shit dude. all i can say is good luck to you and dont let your aspirations die
I love Sparklehorse and have seen them live a few times in the past. Better to have had his great music as to have never had it all.
Shit, Thor Man, don’t let go of your dream. Even if you take a class here or there when you can, don’t let it die. I had a lot of things I wanted to do when I was in my early 20’s. I never became an actress, but I took a few acting classes. I never became a singer because I was so petrified to sing in front of people, but time has taken that away from me and I hope to do some public singing in the future. Hell, I entered that Golden Ticket contest last fall on here and sent myself singing to total strangers, not knowing if it was going to be posted! (Thank God it wasn’t.) And I never became a professional photographer because I thought that working just enough to get by and have enough to party with was more important. It wasn’t. Lately, people close to us have been dying and it’s made both my husband and I take stock of our lives and what we still want for ourselves and our children. We plan to sell our house in a few years and move to a place that is more appropriate for the lifestyle that we used to have and want again. And I plan on taking some photography classes this year. I guess what I’m trying to say is, there is always something to look forward to, dreams don’t have to die just because you had to put them off for awhile. And suicide is such a pussy-ass, cowards way of solving problems. I always feel bad for people who do that. I wish they could have found some hope and that next little golden moment to look forward to.
When my dad died of cancer, it only made me want to live even more, and to go after the things that I have been putting off. I think the saddest thing in the world is to be on your deathbed, thinking, “I shoulda-coulda-woulda….”
Amen Leann.