David Roach, lead singer of 80s rock group Junkyard, has died at age 59 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
His bandmates shared the devastating news on Instagram, sharing that he died ‘in the loving arms of his wife’, Jennifer Roach.
The pair had only tied the knot on July 19, just two weeks before his death, in a private ceremony with their closest friends.
‘It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Roach,’ the band wrote. ‘After a courageous battle with cancer, David passed away peacefully last night at home, in the loving arms of his wife.
‘He was a gifted artist, performer, songwriter, and singer—but above all, a devoted father, husband, and brother. Our thoughts are with the entire Roach family and everyone who loved him.’
The Simple Man hitmaker was diagnosed in late March with squamous cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer.
His wife had left her job in order to become his full-time carer, with a GoFundMe launched to help cover his medical bills as he needed around-the-clock care.
‘David is a true friend to everyone he meets,’ the GoFundMe read. ‘He has a knack for making people feel special and appreciated, and his incredible sense of humor always brings laughter and happiness to those around him.
‘His generous spirit really shines through in everything he does, including donating his amazing artwork to support others.’
The page raised over $36,000 (£27,000) with Jennifer sharing an update that described the time since his diagnosis as ‘a nightmare rollercoaster’.
On July 21, she wrote that Roach had been living in a cancer centre ‘for a month now’ but was ‘in good spirits’ with hopes he could move home soon.
Following his death, bandmate Chris Gates shared: ‘I loved him like a little brother. We had our ups and downs, but that never changed. My condolences to his brother and sisters, v and to ask the people who lived him or were touched by his/or songs.
‘I’ll miss playing music with him, but he’ll always be an important part of me.’
Junkyard formed in 1987 with the core line-up consisting of Roach on vocals, Gates and Brian Baker on guitar, bassist Clay Anthony and drummer Patrick Muzingo.
They were often compared to Guns N’ Roses, who were also on Geffen Records, the label which dropped Junkyard after two albums.
At the time they had their third album ready to go, which was later released as two issues: XXX and The Joker.
After being dropped in 1992, Junkyard disbanded but kept a cult following before reforming in 2000 for a world tour complete with live album from their heyday.
In 2017, they released comeback album High Water — their first studio recording in 25 years — with a final single dropped in 2021 titled Lifer.
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