Both DCist music writer Ian Buckwalter and I regret that we missed Vic Chesnutt play the Black Cat at the end of October on what turned out to be his final tour. Early on Christmas Eve, Kristin Hersh twittered that Chesnutt had apparently attempted suicide. The Associated Press confirmed yesterday that Chesnutt died on Christmas Day. Though his record company, Constellation Records, has not commented on the cause of death, the New York Times reports that Chesnutt died after overdosing on muscle relaxants earlier in the week. Chesnutt’s ties to the District were not (to my knowledge) extensive, but he did record 2007’s North Star Deserter and 2009’s At the Cut with a cast of luminaries that included the District’s own Guy Picciotto. He was also one of the first artists to perform in the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series. Sadly, the recent struggle in Washington to pass health-care reform serves as a tragic backdrop for the paraplegic artist, who was overwhelmed by medical bills. This awful tragedy goes to show how truly fucked up the status quo is in this nation and how badly reform is needed. I am new to Chesnutt’s music, but in a short time I have developed a deep appreciation for his gallows humor, honesty, and often angular guitar. Listen to “Flirted With You All My Life” and “Philip Guston” and on Chesnutt’s home page; the latter in particular sounds to me more D.C. than Athens.