Vic Chestnutt -- gone

A paraplegic who was injured in a car accident when he was 18, Chestnutt was a widely-admired performer who was supported early in his career by such top recording artists as R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe.

The 1996 tribute album “Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation—The Songs of Vic Chesnutt” featured R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, and Madonna covering his songs.

Speakeasy, the Wall St. Journal blog, reports he took an overdose of muscle relaxants and died on Christmas Day.