Rick Froberg, 55, frontman for the bands Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, passes away.
The loss of Froberg was confirmed by his longtime colleague John Reis.
Rick Froberg, the singer, and guitarist for Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, and Obits, passed away at 55.
John Reis, Froberg’s former bandmate in Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, posted on Instagram to share the news of his passing. Rick passed away suddenly on Friday, June 30, at roughly 11 p.m. from natural causes. He used his art to better his life. Even more, than he loved music and the arts, he cherished his friends. He will always be remembered for his creativity, insight, and ability to bring beauty to the world. Good day, Rick. I’ll miss you for the rest of my life.”
Froberg and Reis founded the post-hardcore band Pitchfork in the late 1980s. After that, they formed the emo rock group Drive Like Jehu and Interscope Records released their major label debut, Yank Crime, in 1994.
In the middle of the 1990s, Reis briefly put Drive Like Jehu on hold to concentrate on his other band, Rocket from the Crypt. Reis had founded his own record label, Swami Records, by the end of the decade, and he had rejoined Froberg to form the post-hardcore band Hot Snakes.
Between 2000 and 2004, Hot Snakes issued three albums, including Suicide Violence and Audit in Progress. The group took a sabbatical before reuniting in 2018 to record their fourth album, Jericho Sirens.
In 2006, Froberg created the band Obits. They put out three albums between 2009 and 2013.
Froberg and Reis reactivated Drive Like Jehu in 2014 for a string of live concerts, one of which took place at Coachella in 2015.
In addition to creating artwork for his bands, Rocket from the Crypt and Swami Records, Froberg was a talented graphic artist.
