Like so many of you out there, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of The Models front man James Freud.
It appears that he committed suicide after a long battle with alcohol. His struggles were well documented in his memoirs, but it’s still shocking to hear that he’s gone.
“It is with much sorrow that we share the news of the passing of James Freud,” a statement from Mushroom Music read. “James Freud passed away this morning. James’ battle with alcoholism has been well chronicled. His two books on his recovery and five years sobriety were bestsellers and gave a lot of people who were suffering the same affliction comfort and hope. Unfortunately, James has succumbed to his disease and taken his own life this morning.”
I remember feeling his absence while watching The Models being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame last weekend. What a shame he wasn’t there to take that final bow.
The Models back catalogue was exhaustive, but “Out of Mind, Out of Sight” was always my favourite track. It’s a predictable choice I suppose, but there’s a reason why radio flogs these songs. Sometimes they’re just that good.
So I wanted to post it and remember James in better times. If you’ve got any fond memories of The Models or James, please share them.