Mark Sandman

Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor, multi-instrumentalist and comic writer. Sandman possessed a distinctive, deep Bass-Baritone voice and a mysterious demeanour. He was an indie rock icon and longtime fixture in the Boston/Cambridge music scene, best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine. Sandman was also a member of the blues-rock band Treat Her Right and founder of Hi-n-Dry, a recording studio and independent record label. An intensely private person, Sandman was known for his dark, charismatic presence and sometimes volatile temper especially with those attempting to find out more within his personal life, with many rumours circulating about his experiences outside the music industry. Sandman was the unofficial spokesman for Morphine and many of his songs were apparently autobiographical though even after his death this remains unconfirmed. On July 3, 1999, he suffered a massive heart attack during a concert in Italy and died instantly. He was highly regarded by many other bass players for his unique "slow and murky" style, with Les Claypool, Mike Watt, and Josh Homme all citing Sandman as an influence.