The former Skid Row singer, whose passing was confirmed by his widow Paula Marcenaro Solinger, goes public with his health issue in May when he asks for donations to help cover his medical bills.
- Jun 28, 2021
AceShowbiz - Johnny Solinger has passed away at the age of 55. Just a month after revealing his health struggles, the former Skid Row singer lost his battle with liver failure.
His wife Paula Marcenaro Solinger, confirmed the musician's death. The actress, who appeared on "12 Masks", told USA Today on Sunday, June 27, "He passed yesterday while I was holding his hand." She announced her husband's death via Facebook. In one post, she wrote, "Johnny has passed. I was holding his hand. He went in peace. Thank you all. I will take a break from everything but please know I am forever grateful for your love."
Two hours earlier, Paula also shared a heartbreaking note that read, "I have made the decision to transition to comfort care. It is time to let him go in peace. I thank you all immensely for your love and support. You have no idea how much your love helped me through this." She continued, "I'm sorry this is it. I'm sorry there's nothing else I can do. I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have saved him. I'm so sorry, Johnny Solinger. I'm so sorry."
Johnny's former band Skid Row also shared the sad news on their official Instagram page. Along with the musician's photo, they penned, "We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans." They concluded the post by noting, "Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us." It was signed "much love" by current members Rachel Bolan, ZP Theart, Snake Sabo, Rob Hammersmith and Scotti Hill.
In May, Johnny opened up about his health issue. "It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what's going on with me and my health," the rocker began. "I have been hospitalized for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And the prognosis is not so good."
"As with most musicians I do not have health insurance and it's very difficult to get proper care without it," he elaborated. "I am currently under at least seven different medications and I need to have my abdomen drained off fluid that gets accumulated every couple of days. I have lost a lot of strength and will require physical therapy as well [sic]."
Johnny went on to ask his fans and followers to "send [him] all the healing vibes you can" and donations to help cover his medical care. A GoFundMe page organized by his friend Brian Lawrence had raised $16,000 toward a $100,000 goal as well.
Johnny joined Skid Row in 1999 to replace the band's previous lead vocalist Sebastian Bach. He decided to leave in 2015, and was subsequently replaced by Tony Harnell.
