Chet “JR” White, best known for his work as the bassist and producer in Girls, has died. A representative from True Panther, which released Girls’ music, confirmed the news to Pitchfork. Chet “JR” White was 40 years old.
“I hope you feel nothing but peace now my brother,” White’s Girls bandmate Christopher Owens tweeted. “I love you, and thank you for believing in me, and for what you brought to the table. Always and Forever, and I’ll always be proud of you.... I’ll always remember you protecting Liza, Patrick, myself, and Beta from the jerks.”
White was raised in Santa Cruz, California and his formative years were spent in the town’s punk scene. As a teenager, he played in a punk group called the Willies. He briefly attended Cabrillo College before dropping out.
Upon moving to San Francisco to attend the (now closed) California Recording Institute, White met Christopher Owens, who was playing in the Ariel Pink project Holy Shit. Together, they formed the band Girls in 2007. Girls released two critically acclaimed full-length albums: 2009’s Album and 2011’s Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The band also released 2010’s Broken Dreams Club EP and several singles between 2008 and 2012.
When they worked on Father, Son, Holy Ghost, White and Owens stopped living together. In interviews, White hinted at tensions during that album’s creation. “At the time weren’t spending as much time together, we used to spend every day with each other, used to go out every day, which was happening less,” White told Impose. “The relationship between us was changing because of the band. I think this record was a big influence on us because we had to find a new way because at times we were uncomfortable working with each other in a sense you know, because after two years of touring there are stresses that build up.”
Owens disbanded Girls in 2012; he informed White of his decision via email. “Getting the initial word from Chris through an email and seeing the words—there was a shock, but I didn’t feel too strong of emotions,” White told Paste in 2013. “I wasn’t sad…. I hadn’t realized until then, but I expected it. Of course I expected it. I knew Chris better than anyone and we spent nearly every day together for two years. I knew what his ambitions were. And, when we stopped really talking during the recording of Father, Son, Holy Ghost, I knew it could be coming soon.”
Owens told Pitchfork in a 2012 interview that he “would not be surprised” if he worked with White again. “The first record we made together was a blast, and I can very much see going back and making another one of those kinds of records with him,” he said.
In the years after Girls disbanded, Chet “JR” White worked on Tobias Jesso Jr.’s 2015 album Goon as a musician and producer. He also collaborated with Cass McCombs, Glitz, and Spectrals. He spent time recording with DIIV, but those sessions have not been released.
