Johnny Solinger, Former Skid Row Singer, Dead At 55 After Liver Failure
Former Skid Row singer Johnny Solinger has died a month after revealing he was suffering from liver failure. He was 55.
According to USA Today, Solinger’s wife, actress Paula Marcenaro Solinger, confirmed the musician’s death. “He passed yesterday while I was holding his hand.”
He went in peace, Marcenaro wrote Saturday night on Facebook, two hours after telling fans, I have made the decision to transition to comfort care. It is time to let him go … I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have saved him. I’m so sorry, Johnny Solinger. I’m so sorry.
Skid Row shared the news Saturday night on social media, posting a photo of Solinger with his birth and death dates.
We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans, a statement on Skid Row’s verified Instagram account read. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.
Solinger shared his health struggles with fans last month on Facebook.
It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what’s going on with me and my health,” he wrote on May 8. “I have been hospitalized for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And prognosis is not so good. As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it’s very difficult to get proper care without it. I am currently under at least seven different medications and I need to have my abdomen drained off fluid that gets accumulated every couple of days. I have lost a lot of strength and will require physical therapy as well.
Solinger asked fans to “send me all the healing vibes you can” and donations to help with his medical bills. A GoFundMe page organized by his friend Brian Lawrence has raised $16,000 toward a $100,000 goal.
Solinger was the hard rock band’s longest-running vocalist (1999 to 2015), replacing Sebastian Bach, who left the group in 1996.
Solinger fronted the group when it opened for Kiss’ Farewell Tour in 2000 and embarked on a solo career after parting ways with the group. He sang on two of the group’s albums, 2003’s “Thickskin” and 2006’s “Revolutions Per Minute.”