It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Jack White keyboardist Isaiah “Ikey” Owens. Owens passed away last night in his hotel room in Puebla, Mexico. The cause of Owens’ death unknown at this point. Owens was performing with Jack White on his tour of Mexico. Owens has been a member of White’s touring band since 2012 and played keyboards on both of White’s solo albums. In addition, Owens was also a member of The Mars Volta and collaborated with artists like Mastodon, Sublime, Reel Big Fish, and many more. The Long Beach, CA native was also a producer and a very involved member of the SoCal music scene. Jack White has cancelled the remainder of his tour run of Mexico, and his label Third Man Records has issued the following statement:
It is with great sadness that we tell the world of the passing of the incredible musician Isaiah “Ikey” Owens. He will be missed and loved forever by his family, friends, bandmates and fans. Ikey Owens was an astounding keyboard player in Jack White’s backing band. He also played with Mars Volta, Free Moral Agents, and many other projects. Out of respect for Ikey, the remaining shows of the Jack White Tour in Mexico have been cancelled. We will all miss you Ikey. You were and are an incredible artist.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Isaiah, his family, his friends, Jack White and his bandmates, and everyone at Third Man Records. – by Matt Bishop (Top Left Photo Courtesy of Nasty Little Man Public Relations)