Sean Blosl died in a car accident. The former guitarist and co-founder of Sanctuary passed away at the age of 58 in Seattle on August 26, 2024, but the news was only released on December 31st on the band's social media by Lenny Rutledge , guitarist and Blosl's cousin. The Chronicle published a short obituary.
In tribute to his cousin, Rutledge stated: “It is with a very heavy heart that I have to announce that Sean Blosl passed away this year. He was involved in a car accident in Seattle. I have struggled to post about this news. I am not a fan of death announcements on social media, but I realize that while I believe this is a private family matter, Sean was also a very important part of the Seattle music scene.”.
The guitarist goes on to say that he considered Sean like a brother and how significant his contribution to music was and how it influenced his career. "It's very difficult to summarize a lifetime of love, memories, and experiences, but I will always remember Sean as an inspiration and a teacher."
"RIP brother. See you on the other side."
Check out the post about Sean Blosl's death on the Sanctuary's profile:
Musical journey
In 1985, Sean Blosl founded Sanctuary with his cousin Lenny Rutledge. He played on the band's first two albums, Refuge Denied from 1988 and Into The Mirror Black from 1990.
Into The Mirror Black tour , Sanctuary replaced Blosl with Jeff Loomis. But in 1992, the band broke up due to disagreements over musical direction, caused by pressure from the Epic Records for the band to fit into the grunge scene.
However, after the end of Sanctuary, Warrel Dane (vocals), Jim Sheppard (bass) and Loomis formed Nevermore in 1992, which released seven albums before going on hiatus in 2011.
Finally, in 2010, founding members Dane , Sheppard, Rutledge, and Dave Budbill (drums) reunited for a few shows, which led to a permanent reunion. Sanctuary's third album, The Year The Sun Died , was released in 2014. Warrel Dane passed away in December 2017, a victim of a heart attack in Brazil, the location chosen for recording his solo album.
In honor of Dane, Sanctuary toured with Iced Earth in 2018, with Joseph Michael , vocalist of Witherfall , on vocals.
READ ALSO : Lenny Rutledge of Sanctuary says vocalist Joseph Michael “brought a new life to the band”
