Screaming Trees Bassist Dead at 55: Van Conner’s Cause of Death Revealed

Van Conner, bassist and founding member of the alternative rock band Screaming Trees, has died at the age of 55. Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner's brother and bandmate, announced the news on social media on Wednesday.

"Van Conner, bassist and songwriter of Screaming Trees, died last night of an extended illness at 55," he wrote, adding that Van Conner's cause of death was pneumonia.

"He was one of the closest friends I ever had, and I loved him immensely. I will miss him forever and ever and ever," he added.

Van Conner, born in Apple Valley, California, but grew up in Ellensburg, Washington, created the band Explosive Generation with his brother as the guitarist, and Mark Pickerel as the drummer, during their senior year of high school, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

The band quickly added vocalist Mark Lanegan and rebranded themselves as Screaming Trees. With their unique blend of hard rock and neo-psychedelia, bands like Melvins, Mudhoney, and Green River can all trace their musical ancestry back to the quintet, which issued multiple albums on indie labels in the late '80s.

Van Conner and the Screaming Trees

The Screaming Trees' debut EP, "Other Worlds," was recorded in their hometown of Ellensburg, Washington, in 1985, while their studio set, "Clairvoyance," was recorded in 1986, according to Billboard.

It would be a while before Screaming Trees became a mainstream success. The band debuted on the Billboard charts in 1992 when Seattle's grunge subculture began gaining popularity.

Their album "Sweet Oblivion" peaked at position 141 on the Billboard 200, which includes sales from all genres. Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay charted success for their hits "Nearly Lost You" and "Dollar Bill" as well, The Daily Mail reported.

"Dust," released in 1996, was their most commercially successful effort. On the Billboard 200, that album peaked at position #134. "Last Words: The Final Recordings" was released 11 years after the band's 2000 split.

Van Conner After Screaming Trees

Unfortunately for the Conners, Mark Lanegan's drug abuse, which he began to indulge in after the band's initial success, compounded with growing conflicts, ultimately derailed their career for the rest of the decade.

During this period of inactivity, Van Conner played in his band, Solomon Grundy, which released an album of the same name in 1990, and a touring lineup of Dinosaur Jr.

Screaming Trees' "Dust" was well-received and earned the band a spot on the Lollapalooza in 1996. The band was plagued by internal strife and extended inactivity due to their problems with making a follow-up to "Dust," which led to their official breakup in 2000. They launched their final tour in the same year before disbanding.

Before his death in 2022, Lanegan made it clear he was not interested in a Screaming Trees comeback, according to Rolling Stone. For the past two decades, Van has been performing with his brother Patrick Conner in the band Valis and working as a studio musician.

In 2018, Van put out an album under his name titled "Coming Back Again," which is more acoustic and slower-paced than his work with Screaming Trees. In an interview with Billboard in 1996, Van Conner discussed music's impact on his life, both as a creator and a consumer. While traveling, "music gets me through mentally - especially on the road," he noted.

"You can get lost in records. It may sound cheesy, but that's why it's worth sticking it out as a band; if your music can help just one person transcend their situation or reflect on their state of mind," he added.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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