Medical examiner rules Dave Brockie died of accidental heroin overdose

The Chief Medical Examiner’s office has ruled on the cause of death.

June 3, 2014; 2:52 PM • by Ross Catrow

Update #4 — June 3, 2014; 2:51 PM

Dave Brockie, lead singer and mastermind of Richmond-based art/shock-rock metal band GWAR died of an accidental heroin overdose, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

— ∮∮∮ —

Update #3 — April 11, 2014; 12:16 PM

GWAR has announced the creation of the Dave Brockie Foundation and an initiative to create a memorial monument in Richmond.

The Dave Brockie Foundation is a charity fund with the mission of promoting the advancement of music, images, letters, and performances in the arts. It will endeavor to encourage promising talents, as well as preserving the legacy of Dave’s body of works. It intends to be a support system to those who have dedicated their lives in pursuit of creativity. The Dave Brockie Foundation will be a resource for artists in the fields of music, film, literature, and all visual arts who cannot find funding through mainstream channels.

The DBF will also strive to catalog and preserve Dave’s vast collection of original images, recordings, and written words, and make them available for the world to appreciate. The foundation’s first goal is to finance the creation of a memorial monument in Richmond, Virginia to provide the world with a place to pay respects to the memory of a very cherished man.

— ∮∮∮ —

Update #2 — March 27, 2014; 11:59 AM

GWAR’s manager announced in a statement today that this year’s GWAR-B-Q will take place as scheduled on August 16th. A public memorial is scheduled for August 15th.

As Dave and Oderus would have wanted, this year’s GWAR-B-Q scheduled for August 16th at Hadad’s Lake (7900 Osborne Turnpike Richmond, VA) will still take place as planned. We have scheduled the Dave Brockie public memorial to take place the day prior to the GWAR-B-Q, Friday August 15th, also at Hadad’s Lake.

More information shall be released as the details are confirmed.

— ∮∮∮ —

Update #1 — March 24, 2014; 1:39 PM

GWAR’s manager has released the following statement:

It is with a saddened heart that I confirm my dear friend Dave Brockie, artist, musician, and lead singer of GWAR, passed away at approximately 6:50 p.m. EST Sunday, March 23, 2014. His body was found Sunday by his bandmate at his home in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond authorities have confirmed his death and next of kin has been notified. A full autopsy will be performed. He was 50 years old, born August 30, 1963.

My main focus right now is to look after my bandmates and his family.

More information regarding his death shall be released as the details are confirmed.

— ∮∮∮ —

Original — March 24, 2014

Style Weekly reports that GWAR frontman Dave Brockie was found dead on Sunday:

The founder and lead singer of renowned metal band Gwar, David Brockie, has died, say numerous sources close to the group.

A member of the Richmond Police Department confirms that the 50-year-old musician was found dead in his home between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. by his roommate.

For almost three years Brockie chronicled his life and the life of GWAR on this site through his autobiographical column, Me and the Onrushing Grip of Death. The band had just returned from a tour celebrating their 30th anniversary.

— ∮∮∮ —

Randy Blythe, Lamb of God frontman:

When someone dies, a lot of the time people will say “Oh, he was a unique person, really one of a kind, a true original”–most of these people have no idea of what they are talking about–they obviously had never met Dave. Dave TRULY WAS ONE OF A KIND–I can’t think of ANYONE even remotely like him. That’s VERY HARD TO SAY.

My band learned how to become a real touring band from GWAR–they gave us our first shot at this thing. I learned many things from Dave, many of which I am eternally grateful for, and some of which I am deeply ashamed of.

I took this picture at his birthday party a few months ago–Dave kissing his Oderous birthday cake. Right now, if I were to truly honor Dave in the way HE would do it if it were ME that had died, I would make a completely tasteless joke about his death. But I do not have the stomach for that–Dave would, but not me. He never put much stock in “limits.” Richmond, VA has lost one of its most creative people.

— ∮∮∮ —