Saliva Guitarist Wayne Swinny Passes Away
Saliva – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Stephen Jensen
Founding Saliva guitarist Wayne Swinny has passed away
Rock band Saliva have announced that guitarist Wayne Swinny has passed away on the group’s current tour. According to a release, Swinny passed away from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while on tour promoting the band’s new single, “High on Me.” It’s a tragic surprise that has broken the hearts of Swinny’s longtime bandmates.
“I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now. My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki,” frontman Bobby Amaru said in a statement. “He loved that little girl so much. He was a Guitar Hero onstage with all the Rock ‘N’ Roll swag that most guitar players dream of. Offstage he was a proud father, an Ancient Aliens expert, and an incredible human who had zero enemies! He would go out of his way to make sure you had a good time.”
He added, “I’m grateful that I got to share almost 12 years of my life with Wayne on the stage and most importantly off the stage. He was the older brother I never had. I learned so much from him and we had a fucking blast together! I will cherish it all for the rest of my life! God Bless you Wayne. I know we’ll meet again!!”
Amaru joined Saliva in 2011. The band got its start with the chart-topping 2001 record “Every Six Seconds,” which was certified Double Platinum and featured the hits, “Click Click Boom” and “Your Disease.” Additional hits from the band’s early days included “Always,” “Raise Up” and the Nikki Sixx co-penned “Rest In Pieces.” The band’s most recent lineup included Amaru; Swinny; former Shinedown and Fuel bassist Brad Stewart; and Sammi Jo Bishop.
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