Entertainment

Screaming Trees singer, Seattle icon Mark Lanegan dies at 57

Mark Lanegan
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Singer Mark Lanegan, whose band Screaming Trees was an essential part of the Seattle grunge scene in the early 1990s, has died.

Lanegan's Twitter account says he died at age 57 Tuesday at his home in Ireland.

"Our beloved friend Mark Lanegan passed away this morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland," said the post. "A beloved singer, songwriter, author, and musician he was 57 and is survived by his wife Shelley. No other information is available at this time. We ask Please respect the family privacy."

Many thought Lanegan and the Screaming Trees would become the breakout success from the Seattle scene, yet they never achieved the popularity of Nirvana or Soundgarden.

But through seven studio albums with the band and 10 solo albums, Lanegan's deep voice and dark songwriting would make fans and collaborators of many more prominent musicians.

Iggy Pop and the Velvet Underground's John Cale were among those praising him Tuesday.

"I can't process this," Cale said on Twitter. "Mark Lanegan will always be etched in my heart - as he surely touched so many with his genuine self, no matter the cost, true to the end."

Lanegan's cause of death was not immediately known.