It’s no secret that my favorite band of all-time is FAITH NO MORE. Founded in 1982, the band had a few different people on the mic before locking in with Chuck Mosley, who would be the voice of the band for their first two albums – 1985’s WE CARE A LOT and 1987’s INTRODUCE YOURSELF. While the band would find greater success after replacing Mosley with Mike Patton in 1989, the first two albums set the stage for what would become – genre-bending pieces of art that had a sound all their own. Mosley’s vocals are unmistakably indicative of that early era of FNM, and several of the songs he sung have become timeless, remaining in the band’s set list for decades beyond his work. Today, Chuck Mosley has died, and unfortunately his death is tied to the very thing that’s long-been cited as a principal cause for his removal from his most famous band: addiction. A statement from his family is as follows…
From the EMP Label Group Facebook Page: “After a long period of sobriety, Charles Henry Mosley III lost his life, on November 9th, 2017, due to the disease of addiction. We’re sharing the manner in which he passed, in the hopes that it might serve as a warning or wake up call or beacon to anyone else struggling to fight for sobriety. He is survived by long-term partner Pip Logan, two daughters, Erica and Sophie and his grandson Wolfgang Logan Mosley. The family will be accepting donations for funeral expenses. Details to follow when arranged.”
Chuck Mosley may not have been a household name, but still he leaves a legacy. He was a father and grandfather who had recently re-connected with his former bandmates. He made appearances on the hometown San Francisco shows during Faith No More’s “Second Coming Tour,” and just last year he fronted the band for a “Chuck Mosley and Friends” performance of WE CARE A LOT to celebrate its 30th Anniversary reissue. Just this year, he was back on the road as a solo act, with the “Reintroduce Yourself Tour” taking him back across the U.S.
FAITH NO MORE also issued a statement: “It’s with a heavy, heavy heart we acknowledge the passing of our friend and bandmate, Chuck Mosley. He was a reckless and caterwauling force of energy who delivered with conviction and helped set us on a track of uniqueness and originality that would not have developed the way it had had he not been a part. How fortunate we are to have been able to perform with him last year in a reunion style when we re-released our very first record. His enthusiasm, his sense of humor, his style and his bravado will be missed by so many. We were a family, an odd and dysfunctional family, and we’ll be forever grateful for the time we shared with Chuck.”
Mosley was just 57 years old.
