Steve Albini Honored By Big Black Bandmate Santiago Durango After Tragic Death

Beloved alternative rock musician and producer Steve Albini passed away on Tuesday at the age of 61. Since then, letters of support for his loved ones and statements honoring the late producer from his colleagues have been pouring in.

One person who has notably honored Albini in a statement to Rolling Stone is Santiago Durango. Durango was the guitarist for the band Big Black, of which Albini was also a founding member. For Durango, Albini’s death was a “total gut punch”, considering that the producer was only 61 at the time of his passing.

“I always believed Steve would outlive me,” Durango said in the Rolling Stone statement. “It makes me happy to know Steve lived a full life doing what he wanted to do.”

Durango went on to talk about Albini as a man, rather than focusing on him as a famed music producer.

“What gets overlooked about Steve is that, when everything else is stripped away, he was simply a decent man,” Durango continued. “Everything makes sense when Steve is viewed through that lens. He was a loyal and lifelong friend because he was a decent man. He was a much better friend than I deserved.”

Steve Albini’s Tragic Passing

Steve Albini passed away at the age of 61 on May 7 from a heart attack in his home. The tragic passing of the beloved producer and musician came just a few days before his band Shellac was set to release their comeback album To All Trains.

Albini’s career in music began in 1981 with Big Black. He had since formed two additional bands. He was also a talented producer who helped record some of the biggest albums of the 1980s and 1990s. Nirvana’s In Utero and Pixies’ Surfer Rosa are just two of his biggest contributions to the alt-rock world.

Albini has left behind his wife, film director Heather Whinna. He did not have children.

“He had a long marriage to Heather because he was a decent man,” said Durango in his Rolling Stone statement. “My heart aches for Heather.”

Durango also said that Albini was a “caring and giving person” and that his sudden passing has left a hole in his life.

We wish Albini’s friends and family the best during this difficult time.

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer