SEAN COSTELLO, 28, DEAD IN ATLANTA ON BIRTHDAY
(Atlanta, GA)---Blues singer, guitarist, composer Sean Costello was found dead in his Atlanta, GA. Hotel room, Tues., April 15 - the eve of his 29th birthday.
Cause of death has yet to be determined.
Costello, a highly regarded blues musician since age 14, was in the middle of touring to support his latest album “We Can Get Together” (Delta Groove Records)
In a statement Robert Fitzpatrick, Delta Groove president and Rand Chortoff, CEO, said: “Losing someone as young, talented and vibrant as Sean, who has accomplished so much in just a few short years and still had so much potential is a terribly difficult blow.
“Sean had friends and fans around the world and was unanimously praised, by critics and fans alike, as one of the main torch bearers of the blues flame.
“Now that potential will go sadly unfulfilled.”
Costello’s manager Carol Peters: “Everybody who saw Sean saw a brilliant musician working in an authentic American art form, the blues, in a really personal and creative way. A tragic loss not just to his friends, family and fans but to the music community at large.”
Veteran producer Michael Rothschild, who worked on three previous albums with Costello, starting with “Cuttin’ In” (2000) that earned Costello a W.C. Handy Blues award: “I first saw him when he was 14 and he knew all about the music, and the great guitarists like T. Bone Walker and Charlie Christian - he was also a great swing guitar player. He was mild mannered, an immense talent in a small package. There’s no telling how far he would have gone with a longer life.”
Costello had been called a Bluesman for the 21st Century, one that incorporated the eclectic mix of music that surrounded him since his early days in Philadelphia (where he was born) when street corner doo wop entranced his young ears. He had the chance as a young musician to play with traditionalists (B.B. King), gospel performers (Five Blind Boys of Alabama), the new wave (Susan Tedeschi), Dylan expatriates (Levon Helm) and any number of the bluegrass, folk or rock community who crossed his path.
But Costello never left the bedrock blues elements, using them as energy to extend his musical thinking and vision.
At age 9 Costello moved to Atlanta. As he was about to graduate high school with a local reputation as a guitarist, he was offered a record date with Susan Tedeschi. The resulting album became a hit, Costello joined Tedeschi and his own career began. Between the ages of 19 and 23 he won awards (from the Memphis Blues Society, W.C. Handy award nomination), was in and out of the recording studio, and earned the respect of his peers, such as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins, and James Cotton.
In one of his last interviews Costello observed: “All I ever wanted to do was play the guitar well and I’ve been fortunate to be able to make a good living doing it.”
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