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Feb 25, 2020 David Roback By Christopher Roberts

David Roback, co-founder and guitarist for Mazzy Star, has died, reports the band’s publicist. He was 61. No cause of death has been given.

Roback was part of the Paisley Underground neo-psychedelia scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s. He got his start in Rain Parade, leaving that band in 1983 not long after the release of their debut album, Emergency Third Rail Power Trip. That was followed by the band Rainy Day and then Opal, a collaboration with vocalist/bassist Kendra Smith, formerly of The Dream Syndicate. When Smith left the band, her replacement was vocalist Hope Sandoval and Opal morphed into Mazzy Star. The dream-pop/alternative rock band initially released three albums: 1990’s She Hangs Brightly, 1993’s So Tonight That I Might See (which featured their most recognizable song, “Fade Into You”), and 1996’s Among the Swan. The band broke up in 1997, but reformed after a long hiatus and released their fourth album, Seasons of Your Day, in 2013. Their latest release was 2018’s Still EP. Throughout Mazzy Star’s run, Roback and Sandoval were the constants.

The press statement announcing his passing says Roback “was also well known for his encyclopedic intellect, and for his involvement with the arts, design, and cinema.”

Below is a selection of Roback-related music and videos.

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