Justin Cary, the bassist for Sixpence None the Richer, has died at 50. According to Rolling Stone, Cary passed away Thursday, days after suffering a stroke.
Sixpence None the Richer frontwoman Leigh Nash confirmed the news on social media. "We sure had a great time' is an understatement," Nash wrote. "Thank you, Justin. We love you forever."
Nash's Instagram Stories post detailed what Cary meant to the band. "Justin Cary was kind, talented, and one of the funniest people I've ever met," she shared. "Whenever he had a story, I would stop to listen."
The frontwoman recalled a detail about their iconic single: "I had to be sure to catch the end of 'Kiss Me' every night because he did this funky bass lick that tickled my brain so good." She also recounted a late-night memory from touring in Chile. "One time I broke the sink in my hotel room in Chile and he had to come help me at 1 am."
Cary joined Sixpence None the Richer in 1997, just before the band released their self-titled album featuring "Kiss Me" — the smash hit that reached Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100. The band's cover of The La's "There She Goes" also became a Hot 100 hit in 1999.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have known him and to have learned the touring ropes from someone so extraordinary," Nash wrote. "I was looking forward to being his friend for a long time."
Nash also asked fans to keep Cary's wife Linda in their thoughts: "Please keep his dear Linda close to your hearts. She is our family. There's never been anybody like Justin."
