Jamir Garcia, the frontman of the Filipino heavy metal band Slapshock, has died at the age of 42.
GMA News reported that the vocalist, real name Vladimir Garcia, was found unresponsive at his Quezon City home in the morning today (November 26), police said. He was rushed to Metro North hospital but was declared dead upon arrival.
Though Slapshock have not issued a statement on Garcia’s passing, they have changed their profile image on Twitter to a black square in an apparent gesture of mourning.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/zP4KPuR2xI
— Slapshock (@slapshock) November 26, 2020
NME has reached out to Slapshock for a statement.
Tribune.Net.Ph reported that Garcia had taken his own life, and that his sister “executed a written waiver manifesting that the family was no longer interested in an investigation”.
A police representative told GMA News that the case had been turned over to the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.
Peers and admirers in the Philippines rock scene have taken to social media to mourn Garcia, some of them urging fans not to circulate graphic photos of Garcia taken today.
See their posts below.
Please have some humanity and stop posting photos.
— Maysh ✨ #LetLeniLead (@mayshie) November 26, 2020
This is a very sad day for our local music scene.
Rest in peace to one of our musical heroes, Jamir Garcia of Slapshock.
We are humbly asking everyone to stop sharing his photo, have some decency and respect to his family.
— B r i s o m (@Brisomph) November 26, 2020
have some respect and decency
pls dont repost and share the photos
— Raymund Marasigan (@raymsmercygun) November 26, 2020
STOP FUCKING SHARING JAMIR’S MORGUE PHOTO U SICK FUCKERS
— 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚 ✨ (@raisaracelis) November 26, 2020
RIP boss Jamir 🙏🏻
— TJ Monterde (@tjmusicmonterde) November 26, 2020
Napaka lungkot. Napaka bigat.
Rest in Peace Jamir. 🙏🏻😭
You’ll forever be remembered.
Salamat sa lahat kapatid. pic.twitter.com/C9H9qyFW5O
— Kean Cipriano (@keancipriano) November 26, 2020
RIP, Jamir. 🙏
— Paulo Avelino (@mepauloavelino) November 26, 2020
💔
🧡🧡🧡
— Ebe Dancel (@ebedancel) November 26, 2020
I’m saddened to hear of Jamir’s passing.
Truefaith & Slapshock were labelmates in EMI-Philippines back in the 2000s. #RIPJamir
— MEDS (@MedwinTruefaith) November 26, 2020
Slapshock were in the headlines in October when bassist Lee Nadela confirmed the band had broken up over allegations of embezzlement and mismanaged royalties, as Philstar reported.
In February, the band revealed that they were writing material for a new album to mark their 23rd anniversary, Bandwagon reported.
Garcia joined Slapshock shortly after their formation in 1997, replacing original vocalist Reynold Munsayac. They debuted in 1999 with the album ‘4th Degree Burn’, which spawned the hit ‘Agent Orange’ and later went Platinum in the Philippines. Their most recent album was 2017’s ‘Atake’.
For advice and help on mental health:
- Hopeline: 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis support
0917-558-4673 (Globe)
0918-873-4673 (Smart)
02-88044673 (PLDT)
2919 (toll-free for Globe and TM) - National Center for Mental Health crisis hotline
0917-899-USAP (8727)0917-989-8727