Ex-Trouble / The Skull Singer Eric Wagner Dies of Covid-19
The Skull singer Eric Wagner, formerly of doom pioneers Trouble, has died after a battle with Covid-19. He was 62 years old.
The Skull dropped off their tour with The Obsessed earlier this month citing “the ongoing and growing COVID situation sweeping the nation again, particularly in the South.” On August 17, they issued another update, indicating that Wagner and the band’s three other members tested positive for Covid-19. “We will not be able to play Psycho Vegas this Thursday,” they wrote of the upcoming festival in Las Vegas. “While 3 out of 4 of us who tested positive for Covid are recovering nicely… Eric Wagner’s bout with Covid has gotten worse and he was admitted to the hospital yesterday with COVID pneumonia. Positive thoughts and words will be helpful.” The band later removed the wording indicating that other band members also tested positive, explaining “All the other members have tested Negative.”
Wagner’s oldest son, Luke, confirmed Eric’s passing in a comment left last night on the above post, saying, “Hey all this is Luke Wagner his oldest son. Eric Wagner has passed away.”
Eric’s former bandmate in The Skull, Chuck Robinson, posted his condolences this morning on Facebook as well. “This morning I awoke to the worst news… We are all truely devastated.. My dear friend, band mate and brother Eric Wagner has passed. Goodnight Tempter.. We love you..”
Wagner was reportedly not vaccinated.
Scott “Wino” Weinrich, frontman for The Obsessed, who were on tour with The Skull earlier this month, canceled his solo performance at Psycho Las Vegas citing the festival’s mask mandates. He also shared a number of conspiracy theories regarding Covid-19.
Wagner was a founding member of Trouble, widely considered to be pioneers of the doom metal movement, launching the group in 1979 and remaining in the lineup until 1997. He would return for another stint between 2000 and 2008 — ultimately performing on all of their full-length albums — before leaving again and launching The Skull in 2012 with two of his former bandmates in Trouble, drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson and bassist Ron Holzner, naming the group after Trouble’s second album.
On behalf of everyone at MetalSucks, we wish Eric’s family, friends and bandmates the best during this difficult time.
