Dear friends and fans of Sam Jayne
Dear friends and fans of Sam Jayne,
We regret to inform the world that Sam has passed on to a new adventure of love, laughter and music (and maybe video games, comics or bad movies). He will be remembered for his big-hearted ability to spread love, for his fierce loyalty and mind-bending humor. He was a force of nature and a friend for life.
We are grateful to the many artists, fans and collaborators who have begun sharing what an impact Sam had on their lives and the world. The extent of this outpouring is overwhelming and it speaks to the brightness of his light.
Sam’s life is the most important thing to remember and cherish but we must address his death. All official evidence indicates that Sam passed peacefully in his sleep from undiagnosed health conditions. The irony of someone with a massive ability to love and project that love passing due to a heart condition would not be lost on Sam. Like so many performing artists in the now-decimated New York City entertainment industry Sam had to adapt. He had outfitted his Chevy Tahoe for a cross country journey with the final goal of being with family in the Pacific Northwest. He had been planning to spend Christmas with his best friend in upstate New York and then continue west, visiting friends and creating new amazing (and wacky) memories along the way. He was keeping this journey close to his chest in order to surprise his loved ones and in doing so gave us all a scare when the radio silence grew too long. It turns out that right at the beginning of his journey he took one night to curl up in his truck and there he passed on to a different path. Although a more raucous exit with even more flare could have been expected from Sam, that wasn’t to be.
It is vital to know that even during these dark times his spirit was bright, as he focused on his art and connecting with his community through his live weekly music video nights and giving some lucky kids guitar lessons on zoom. He had just finished mixing a solo record with plans to begin a new Love as Laughter (LAL) album in 2021, at his bandmate's home studio in the Catskills. LAL had also just begun promoting the digital release of an EP on their own label Tracks of Quality. Sam was constantly producing new work and was forever planning his future, including a production of Love as Laughter the musical in his 60s.
Sam expressed himself in so many artistic ways but none greater than his music. He had the immeasurably rare ability to sing a song directly from the heart and the charismatic stage presence to share it with so many. His breadth of style will keep fans debating the merits of each band (Lync, LAL), album and track for a long time to come.
Sam’s legacy as a wild agent of love and peace will resonate beyond our generation and into the betterment of the next. His influence as a family member, friend, and artist is eternal. #samjayneforever
In remembrance of Sam’s life, we ask that you directly support artists you know and love by buying their work.
With Love,
The Jayne Family
I know it’s been hard to take
And i know you wanna run
Just try to stay in one place
And have a little fun
Remember the sun
Before you awake
Remember all the reasons
And bake it into your cake
Sam Jayne
1974 - 2020
