Chi Cheng Bassist of Deftones Dies From Injuries of 2008 Car Accident

By Dawn Cranfield

Deftones Former Bassist Chi Cheng Succumbs to Coma after 2008 Accident

Former Deftones bassist, Chi Cheng, has died from injuries sustained in a 2008 car accident that left him in a coma.  Cheng was ejected from the vehicle where he was a passenger when it collided head-on with a vehicle in Santa Clara, California.  He was said to have immediately been put into a coma.

Cheng was the original bassist for the Deftones, playing on the bands’ first five albums.  The Sacramento hard rock group debuted their first album, Adrenaline, in 1995 with Warner Music Group; however, it was not until their next album “Around the Fur” that they achieved a commercial breakthrough.

Deftones vocalist, Chino Moreno, has been outspoken regarding the emotional scar left by Cheng’s accident, “while also noting that it brought the rest of the band closer together, putting a stop to the infighting that nearly tore the group apart. The Deftones regrouped shortly after Cheng’s accident, scrapping an album that the band had nearly finished with the bassist.”  (latimes.com)

Fan Gina Blackmore created a charity website to help defray the cost of Cheng’s medical expenses, One Love for Chi.  This weekend, Cheng’s mother posted that “his heart just stopped”, she had taken to the site to communicate with fans about his condition on a regular basis.

“He fought the good fight,” his mother went on to post today. “You stood by him sending love daily. He knew that he was very loved and never alone.” (latimes.com)

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