Dustin Hengst Dead: Damone Drummer Dies Aged 39

Damone drummer Dustin Hengst has died at the age of 39.

The musician passed away last night in his home state of Texas after being hospitalized for the past three weeks for undisclosed health issues.

"His liver just shut down and couldn't function anymore," Damone bassist Michael Vazquez told the Boston Phoenix earlier today. "He stopped breathing last night." He continued: "He's never really had the best health," said Vazquez. "When he was a baby, he had to have a lung taken out, and that obviously complicated things. Most people are born with a certain enzyme to help filter alcohol, and he wasn't born with that. Even if he was a mild drinker, that wasn't gonna help. He hit it pretty hard."

Formed in 2003, Damone's power pop-infused take on hard rock had them being compared to greats like Cheap Trick and KISS, and helped them secure a major label deal with RCA Records. After releasing three well-received studio albums, Damone broke up in 2008.

Damone vocalist Noelle LeBlanc posted the following message on her Facebook wall this morning:

"Rest in peace, D-man. Your legacy lives on. Your works and talents put a stamp on this world and will continue making people happy til the end of time. I'm grateful for all you've done. I will love and miss you forever, you crazy mutant. ♥"

Later in the day, Damone guitarist Mike Woods uploaded a song called 'Pillow' (which can be streamed below) onto Soundcloud and wrote: "Back when it became obvious that Damone was coming to an end, I wrote a song for all of the amazing people & places we we're lucky enough to meet, know, & befriend along the way. It's sung here by the extremely talented Juliet Simms. If there was ever a time for me to share this with all of you, I think that time is now."

A PayPal account has been started to help raise funds for Hengst's wife.

[via Metal Insider]