Wayne Swinny was on tour with the Memphis hard rock band Saliva when he suffered a brain hemorrhage at the age of 59. Swinny was a founding member and the last remaining original member of the Grammy-nominated band, which has released 10 albums and has had 17 top 40 hits on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts, including five songs that went top 10.
- Died: March 22, 2023 (Who else died on March 22?)
- Details of death: Died on tour of a spontaneous brain hemorrhage at 59.
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Forming Saliva
Wayne Swinny formed Saliva in 1996 in the Memphis suburb of Bartlett, Tennessee, with Josey Scott Sappington on vocals, drummer Todd Poole, Dave Novotny on bass, and Chris D’Abaldo alongside him on guitar. Pushed by Swinny’s powerful riffs, the band typified the Nu metal / rap metal sound of the era and quickly caught the attention of fans. Less than a year after forming, they were winning musical showcases, including the 1997 Grammy Showcase, and were garnering regional acclaim. Their debut came out later that year, gaining them further accolades and pushing them into mainstream success.
Writing Big Hits
Swinny and Saliva broke big with their second album, Every Six Seconds, which generated the hits “Your Disease” and “Click Click Boom.” Both songs hit the top 20 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts. Their run of success would not slow down, with 13 straight singles (and 17 overall) hitting the top 40. Among them were “Always” and “Ladies and Gentlemen,” both of which went to number 2. Swinny’s potent guitar riffs proved a perfect match for professional wrestling, with many ending up being used in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promos. Best known was “I Walk Alone,” used as the introduction music for David Bautista, who is now a Hollywood star.
Tributes to Wayne Swinny
Full Obituary: Entertainment Weekly
