R.I.P. Vic Chestnutt - Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter is Dead at 45

Some sad news for any day, but especially Christmas day: Vic Chestnutt, an acclaimed singer-songwriter who battled substance abuse and suicidal thoughts, has died, his record company and other sources confirmed. It was reported yesterday that he was in a coma, which some sources said was caused by a suicide attempt. Some Web sites said that he had died, as did a few Twitter feeds from musicians, but the Web sites later changed their articles to say that he was in a coma.

An article on Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix blog says that some reports stated that Chestnutt was in a coma earlier in the week, but that the cause of death has not yet been made public.

Originally from Athens, Georgia, Vic Chestnutt was injured in a car accident when he was 18 and had been a paraplegic ever since. His musician friends later held concerts and produced a tribute album, Sweet Relief II: The Songs of Vic Chesnutt, to help pay his medical expenses, and those projects gave greater visibility to his music and gained him new fans.

Our condolences go out to Vic's wife, Tina, and his family and friends.