Wilco Guitarist Killed by Overdose. Fentanyl Patch Recall a Possible Factor.

ABOVE: Bennett, Tweedy and Wilco perform “California Stars.” Lyrics by Woody Guthrie.

Following weeks of speculation, Illinois coroners concluded their investigation and announced on Tuesday that ex-Wilco guitarist Jay Walter Bennett, 45, died of a drug overdose.

AP reported the findings, stating that the Champaign County coroner found that Bennett had overdosed on fentanyl, a pain killer often packaged as a patch and normally used in the treatment of chronic pain.

Bennett was due to undergo hip-replacement surgery, and had written openly about his ongoing pain in his final MySpace blog entry. Several varieties of fentanyl patches had been recalled last year due to safety issues-namely, a leak in the patch that increases the risk of accidental overdose.

Authorities have not confirmed that the defective patches were a factor in Bennett’s death, which has been ruled accidental.

Bennett was with Wilco from 1994 to 2001, but exited due to his strained relationship with bandleader Jeff Tweedy. The disintegration of their partnership is captured in the 2002 documentary I am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Bennett passed away May 24, 2009. Earlier that month, Bennett’s hip-replacement surgery had reportedly been denied by his insurer. Shortly thereafter, Bennett filed a suit against Tweedy for breach of contract regarding his split from Wilco.

Often working as a studio musician with the likes of Sheryl Crow and Billy Joe Shaver, Bennett’s most recent solo album was 2008’s Whatever Happened I Apologize, currently available as a free download from Rock Proper Records.