Dead Of Rockstar (Taiji Sawada)

Former X Japan , Loudness bassist Taiji Sawada has died at the age of 45. He died Sunday, July 17, while in the hospital, after being removed from life support. Sawada left the band, which is massively popular in its native Japan but only making a go of it in America as we speak, in 1992 and went on to perform in Loudness and DTR in the aftermath.

The circumstances surrounding Sawada's death are as follows: He was arrested on July 11th and charged with allegedly assaulting a female member of a Delta Airline Flight 298 crew, which was en route to Saipan from Tokyo. He was charged with interfering with the employee's performance and was said to have punched the plane window and to have kicked the seat in front of him.Sawada reportedly tried to kill himself on July 14th while he was being detained. He was rushed to the ICU after hanging himself with a bed sheet, an act which left him on life support. His mother and fiancée elected to remove him from artificial means and he passed at 11 Am on Sunday.

X Japan's Yoshiki Releases Statement About Ex Member Die

In light of the news that former X Japan bassist Taiji Sawada had passed away over the weekend, former bandmate Yoshiki has released a statement.

Yoshiki [drums, piano for X Japan]: "Receiving the news of Taiji's death has left me speechless. I don't know how to cope with the loss yet. Playing at the Nissan Stadium together last year brings memories as it was yesterday. To imagine what the fans are feeling right now breaks my heart. But that is the reason why we have to stay strong. X Japan will have to carry on with not only Hide, but Taiji as well in our hearts. May the amazing bassist Taiji rest in peace." The Nissan Stadium gig he refers to was played last August in Japan. Taiji joined the band onstage for a couple of songs, but has not been a member of the band since 1992. Hide was the band's lead guitarist up until his tragic death in May of 1998. Sawada played with Yoshiki in X Japan in 1985 and then again from 1986 to 1992. The late bassist played on pivotal X Japan albums like 'Blue Blood' [1989] and 'Jealousy' [1991] before both parties parted ways.

A Tribute To Second X Japan Member Suicide

X Japan Yoshiki has paid tribute to former bassist Taiji Sawada, who died at the weekend after a suicide attempt following his arrest on a plane.Sawada, 45, was a member of X Japan between 1985 and 1992 and guested with his former colleagues on stage in Japan last year.He was the subject of police action on July 11 after an incident on a flight from Tokyo to Saipan, when it’s alleged he disrupted air crew duties and thrown punches and kicks at windows and seats. He was subdued by other passengers and place in restraints until his arrest when the plane landed in Saipan.While in custody last week he attempted to hang himself using a bed sheet in his cell. He was taken to hospital and placed in intensive care, where doctors discovered he was brain dead. On Sunday his fiancee and mother decided to switch off his life support and he died around noon.He’s the second band member to take his own life. Guitarist Hide Matsumoto was found dead in a hotel room in 1998, hanged by a towel to a doorknob. His official cause of death was recorded as suicide, although some close to the musician, including Sawada, disputed the verdict.Yoshiki has paid tributes to the bassist. He says: The news of Taiji’s death has left me speechless. I dont know how to cope with the loss yet.“It breaks my heart to imagine what the fans must be feeling. But that’s the reason we must stay strong. X Japan will have to carry on with not only Hide, but with Taiji also in our hearts.“Playing at the Nissan Stadium together last year brought back memories like they were yesterday. May the amazing bassist Taiji rest in peace.