Saliva was on the road as part of the “Spring Mayhem” tour when tragically the band’s guitarist, Wayne Swinny, was transported to the hospital after being found “in medical distress.” Paramedics determined that the 59-year-old guitarist “was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Hemorrhage in his brain,” according to a Facebook post by the band.
Swinny sadly died a day later. Saliva singer Bobby Amaru released a statement following Swinny’s passing.
“I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now,” Amaru wrote. “My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much. He was a guitar hero onstage with all the rock ‘n’ roll swag that most guitar players dream of.”
On Monday, Amaru started a GoFundMe campaign for Swinny’s daughter.
“The Saliva family is mourning the tragic loss of our brother Wayne Swinny,” Amaru wrote. “Wayne left us suddenly from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage on March 22, 2023. Wayne fought hard, but ultimately lost his battle. The one bright light is the fact that Wayne was an organ donor and was able to donate his liver and kidneys which saved 2 lives.”
“Wayne leaves behind the love of his life; his beautiful 11-year-old daughter Nikki. Also, his sister Linda, his very tightly bonded Saliva family, countless friends, legions of musicians whom he inspired past and present, and millions of fans across the world.”
“The pain and loss his loved ones are experiencing is incomprehensible. We are setting up a donation link to help cover Wayne’s expenses and to create a trust for his daughter Nikki. Wayne will miss Nikki’s graduations, dances, extracurricular events, marriage, children…milestones, highlights and those times she would have needed her father’s guidance and strength by her side. We hope to be able to provide her with some support as she begins her journey in life without him. Any donation is greatly appreciated.”
“The Saliva family is overwhelmed by the amount of love we have received. Thank you all for the posts, calls, e-mails, texts, and prayers. They are greatly appreciated and helping everyone cope during this very trying time.”
“Wayne was my best friend and bandmate for nearly 12 years. His sister Linda and I discussed creating a gofundme so that a trust could be created for his daughter Nikki.”
Fans can donate to the campaign here.
Saliva came to prominence in 2001 with their double-platinum selling album, “Every Six Seconds” on the backs of hits “Click, Click Boom” and “Your Disease.”
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