Funeral services are set for tomorrow in Middletown, Ohio, for Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert, who died in his sleep Saturday in Washington, D.C., while on tour with the band.
Calvert, 26, was known for his raucous screams and wild man antics onstage, but behind the scenes he was a sweet, personable guy with a great sense of humor. Calvert told me last year that he was proud that success hadn't changed his band or their personalities. "We're still idiots," he joked, as he thought about the possibility of the band landing a second gold album and a possible No. 1 debut.
Though his screams made him loudest on stage, Calvert was actually the quietest of the Dayton-based quintet, content to soak in the perqs of being an up-and-coming rocker and enjoy himself. At the Warped Tour stop at Nassau Coliseum this summer, Calvert was in rare form as his shrieks on "Ohio Is For Lovers" were loud enough to draw the attention of the entire festival.
An autopsy has been done, but no cause of death has been released. Calvert is survived by his wife, Ashley, his parents and three sisters. His family asks that memorial donations be made to Animal Friends Humane Society, 5225 Trenton Road, Trenton, OH 45067.
PHOTO: Hawthorne Heights, with Calvert on the right, from HawthorneHeights.com.