Jay Bennett, a former member of the band Wilco, died Sunday at his home in Urbana, Ill. The multi-instrumentalist was recording his fifth studio album when he died at age 45.
An announcement from Undertow Music Collective, which released one of Bennett's solo albums, reported the musician died in his sleep, adding, "Jay was a beautiful human being who will be missed."
The cause of Bennett's death is not yet known.
With Wilco, Bennett played on the albums Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as their Mermaid Avenue collaborations with Billy Bragg, all between 1994 and 2001. Bennett also wrote and produced songs for the band.
Bennett's creative partnership with Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy ended when Bennett left the band, and his departure became the subject of a 2002 film documentary, I am Trying to Break Your Heart.
This month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Tweedy, claiming $50,000 in royalties for five albums he made with the group. Bennett was also seeking compensation for I am Trying to Break Your Heart.
Bennett founded the power-pop band Titanic Love Affair, which split up after three albums in the mid-90s. Shortly afterward, while working in a VCR repair shop, Bennett was enlisted by Wilco founder Tweedy to play guitar.
After leaving Wilco, Bennett released several solo albums and produced music for other artists.
Wilco is currently touring in Spain.
Prior to the lawsuit, Bennett made an announcement on his MySpace page that he would need hip replacement surgery.
Chronicling the injury, which he sustained during a stage performance with Titanic Love Affair, Bennett wrote, "This whole experience has really taught me to look both inward and outward for support, and I've learned things about myself that I thought I had completely figured out years ago.
"Family and friends have helped me to keep faith in a future that will actually be much more carefree than my constricted present state."
Bennett was born in 1963 in the suburb of Rolling Meadows, Ill.
With files from the Associated Press
