Georgia-Based Singer-Songwriter Vic Chesnutt Dies After Spending Several Days in a Coma

Georgia-based singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt died Friday in Athens, Ga., after spending several days in a coma caused by an overdose of muscle relaxers. He was confined to a wheelchair after a car accident at age 19. Chesnutt was discovered in the late 1980s by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, who was the producer of his first two albums, Little and West of Rome. 

Chestnutt's persistent medical problems made him an extremely harsh critic of the healthcare system in the United States. He told Spinner earlier this year that he was $35,000 in debt to a hospital despite the fact that he was insured.

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Chesnutt gained national prominence thanks to 1996’s Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, which featured Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Garbage and more bands covering his songs to raise money for the Sweet Relief charity, which aids musicians in need of health care. Vic Chesnutt released 13 albums, with his most recent release being Skitter on Take-Off. He was well-known in Athens, where he collaborated with many local indie rock bands.