Sparklehorse Singer Commits Suicide

by Brandon Rabideau

After suffering through years of depression, Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse took his own life this past Saturday. He shot himself in the heart in an alley outside a friend’s home, said his manager, Shelby Meade. Lt.

Greg Hoskins of the Knoxville Police Department confirmed that police responded to a call at 1:20 p.m., and that Mr. Linkous was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sparklehorse has enjoyed cult status since forming in Richmond, Virginia in 1995. Their first album 'Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot' was a minor hit that year.

Even as far back as 1996, Linkous' inner-turmoil was apparent. That year he overdosed on a mix of valium and anti-depressants in a London hotel room.

The last album Linkous made was the unreleased "Dark Night of the Soul" in 2009.

Colin Greenwood of Radiohead had this to say about Linkous:

"I was very sad to hear the news that Mark Linkous has died. He and his band toured with us in Europe, at the start of 'OK Computer', and they were great every night," he recalled. "His first two records were very important to me, and I carried his music from the tour into my life, and my friends' lives too. He was softly spoken, with an old south courtesy I hadn’t heard before: he introduced me to Daniel Johnston's music, and the West Virginian writing of Pinckney Benedict. Mark wrote and played some beautiful music, and we're lucky to have it. Rest in peace."