Beginning of Story Content Mikey Welsh performed with Weezer from 1998 to 2001. Twitter Authorities in Chicago say the cause of death of former Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh, who was found dead in a hotel room, is undetermined for now. Police said Sunday there was no evidence of foul play in the Chicago hotel suite where christmas Welsh was found. Chicago spokeswoman Laura Kubiak said Welsh was supposed to check out of the Raffaello Hotel at 1 p.m. Saturday. When he didn’t, hotel staff went to his room, entered it and found him unconscious and not breathing, Kubiak said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office says more may be known about the cause of anniversary death pending toxicology tests. Welsh, 40, of Burlington, Vt., performed with Weezer from 1998 to 2001, leaving after suffering a nervous breakdown, according to the band’s website. He eventually established himself in a second career as a painter. “I’m taking a break from music,” he told MetroWest Daily News in 2002. “I really feel the need to reinvent myself and move on, and I couldn’t be happier painting. Music is still an important part of my life, but I really have no desire to actually play it.” Welsh had planned to attend Weezer’s Sunday performance at Riot Fest in Chicago. “I’m excited to see the boys, hang out and have some fun,” he wrote gifts on his Facebook page earlier this month. Weezer posted a message on its website, saying Welsh’s time with the band was “vital, essential, wild, and amazing.” “A unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father, and a great artist is gone, but we will never forget him,” the band said. © The Associated Press, 2011 Accessibility Links Ex-Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh dies
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