Some tragic news that came in just a few hours ago: former Mars Volta keyboardist Isaiah "Ikey" Owens has been found dead in his hotel room in Mexico where he was on tour with Jack White. He was 38 years old, no cause of death has been given just yet but drugs and alcohol were found in his hotel room upon discovery. Jack has cancelled the remaining dates on his Mexican tour in honor of his memory and issued this statement just a short time ago:
"It is with great sadness that we tell the world of the passing of the incredible musician Isaiah "Ikey" Owens. He will be missed and loved forever by his family, friends, bandmates and fans. Ikey Owens was an astounding keyboard player in Jack White's backing band. He also played with Mars Volta, Free Moral Agents, and many other projects. Out of respect for Ikey, the remaining shows of the Jack White Tour in Mexico have been cancelled. We will all miss you Ikey. You were and are an incredible artist."
Once more info on his death has been announced, we will pass it along to you. This is such a shocking and immense loss for the music community as Isaiah was an integral part of The Mars Volta from its creation right up to its disbanding just a few years ago and was a key ingredient of countless other musical projects as well. Let's pour one out for Ikey tonight!