Those Darlins singer Jessi Zazu has died. She was 28, The Tennessean reports. Zazu died following a battle with cervical cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2016.
Those Darlins were a mainstay of the Nashville alternative rock scene, releasing three albums between 2009 and 2013. They broke up in 2016, after which Zazu was diagnosed. “I don’t know what lays in store, but I ain’t afraid anymore,” Zazu said in a statement announcing her diagnosis. “Yes, I guess I am a mystic mind after all.”
The Tennessean reports that “Zazu died surrounded by family, friends and fellow musicians who lined the waiting room inside Centennial Hospital’s intensive care unit.”
Read our exit interview with Those Darlins.
Update (3:22 p.m.): Linwood Regensburg of Those Darlins has released a statement on Zazu’s passing:
Yesterday I said goodbye to my best friend, long time partner in crime and hero, Jessi Zazu Wariner.
She maintained a sense of humor and a commanding presence up until and through her final moments. She was in the company of those who cared deeply about her and who she cared deeply about.
Shout-out to your contagious spirit that inspired all who crossed it. Shout-out to the creative dynamo who continued to flourish even against insurmountable odds. Shout-out to all the little triumphs over the last 16 months. Shout-out to the ridiculous van rides and the fights and to the fact that we never turned our backs on one another over the last decade. Shout-out to the dreams we made and the ones left to come. And shout-out to all of you who have supported her until the end.
