Chuck Mosley, singer on Faith No More's first two albums, has died "due to the disease of addiction", according to a statement from his family. He was 57.
A Los Angeles native, Mosley played with future Faith No More bassist Bill Gould in a band called the Animated.
The pair relocated to the Bay Area and joined Faith No More - which had gone through a string of singers, including Courtney Love - in 1983.
His snarling, rap-inflected, at times comical vocals are featured on the band's first two albums, its 1985 Mordam debut We Care a Lot and its 1987 major-label bow, Introduce Yourself, which was released on Slash through Warner Bros.
A revamped version of the song 'We Care a Lot' became an alternative radio hit and got an occasional look on MTV.
Mosley was ejected from the band in 1988 and replaced by Mike Patton, whose versatile vocals helped bring the band to multi-platinum success with the 1989 release The Real Thing, which featured hits like 'Epic' and Falling to 'Pieces'.
Mosley subsequently sued the band, claiming violation of a partnership deal. The case was settled out of court.
He later joined hardcore legends the Bad Brains for a generally unsuccessful stint and later formed a band called Cement. A number of solo albums and occasional reunions with Faith No More ensued.
A statement from his family, posted on the EMP Label Group's Facebook page, reads: "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."
Reuters
