(CelebrityAccess) – Songwriter and poet David Berman has passed away. The news was confirmed by his label Drag City in a tweet yesterday (Aug. 7). He was 52-years-old.
Berman is best known for his work with the seminal indie rock group Silver Jews, which he founded with Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Silver Jews released six studio albums over the course of a 20+ year career, including 1998’s landmark album, American Water.
Following the band’s dissolution in 2008, Berman took a near decade long hiatus from music, however, earlier this year, he finally made his formal return with a new project entitled Purple Mountains. The group released its self-titled debut last month to critical acclaim.
As a poet, Berman, whose work dealt extensively in weighty truths and the exploration of his own inner struggles, also released two books of poetry during his lifetime, 1999’s Actual Air and 2009’s The Portable February.
The cause of death is not yet known.
