Froberg was a member of the bands Pitchfork, Hot Snakes and Obits, but was best known as frontman for the ’90s post-hardcore group Drive Like Jehu.
Rick Froberg, the singer, guitarist and visual artist best known for taking the knotty, overdriven sound of math rock into the mainstream (or close to it) with his influential San Diego band Drive Like Jehu, died Friday in San Diego. He was 55.
His death was confirmed Saturday by his longtime bandmate John Reis, who wrote on Instagram that he “passed away suddenly last night from natural causes.”
“His art made life better,” Reis wrote. “The only thing he loved more than art and rock and roll was his friends. He will forever be remembered for his creativity, vision and his ability to bring beauty into this world. I love you, Rick. I will miss you for the rest of my life.”
Signed to the major label Interscope Records in the early 1990s as part of a package deal that included Reis’ more commercially appealing Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu specialized in a brand of loud and structurally ambitious indie rock that served as a key inspiration for acts like Modest Mouse and At the Drive-In.
