David Roach, Junkyard vocalist and frontman, dies at 59 just 2 weeks after getting married
- - David Roach, Junkyard vocalist and frontman, dies at 59 just 2 weeks after getting married
Shania RussellAugust 5, 2025 at 1:05 AM
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David Roach, lead singer of Junkyard, in 1991
David Roach, the raspy-voiced frontman who led '80s Sunset Strip rockers Junkyard to acclaim, has died. He was 59.
His bandmates announced the news in a heartfelt Saturday post shared to X and Instagram.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Roach," their statement began. "After a courageous battle with cancer, David passed away peacefully last night at home, in the loving arms of his wife."
They concluded, "He was a gifted artist, performer, songwriter, and singer — but above all, a devoted father, husband, and brother. Our thoughts are with the entire Roach family and everyone who loved him."
News of the singer's death comes two weeks after he tied the knot with his fiancée, Jennifer. In a July 20 post, it was revealed that the couple said "I do" at a ceremony attended by Roach's bandmates.
Months prior, Roach had opened up about receiving an "aggressive cancer diagnosis." The post to the band's website also directed fans to a GoFundMe created to support Roach as he sought treatment for "aggressive squamous cell carcinoma affecting his head, neck and throat." The page raised more than $35,000 toward the $50,000 goal intended to help with "the overwhelming medical expenses."
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David Roach of Junkyard in 2015
The most recent post to the fundraiser page, dated July 21, comes from Roach's wife, who thanks fans for their support and kind messages.
"David is in good spirits, keeping his humor alive, and currently enjoying time spent with his close family," she wrote at the time. "We’re optimistic about coming home from the hospital within the next few days and we are definitely not giving up on this fight!"
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Roach co-founded Junkyard in Los Angeles in 1987. The group's core lineup included Roach on vocals, Chris Gates and Brian Baker on guitar, Clay Anthony on bass, and Patrick Muzingo on drums.
Together, they soon became a recognizable name in the city's Sunset Strip music scene, then a popular place for on-the-rise hard rock acts. Junkyard signed with Geffen Records, and their self-titled debut album arrived in 1989. It was a modest success, peaking at No. 105 on the Billboard 200, with singles including "Blooze," "Hollywood, "and "Simple Man."
It was followed by Sixes, Sevens & Nines, which didn't chart, but spawned their popular single, "All the Time in the World."
They were soon dropped by Geffen and split up in 1992, with their unreleased third album already ready to go. It was eventually independently released in 1998 and the band officially reformed to tour the world together two years later, now with Tim Mosher on guitar and Todd Muscat on bass.They would next put out a comeback album, High Water, in 2017.
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Singer David Roach and drummer Patrick Muzingo of Junkyard perform onstage at the Cathouse Festival in 2015
"There’s a diehard fan base that never stopped digging us," Mosher told Billboard that year. "During our sporadic touring we would always come across fans asking us when we would release a proper full-length. We’ve been writing new songs for the last couple of years and looked at this as a chance to do a real third Junkyard album."
In the years that followed, the band periodically performed together and released new music.
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On Sunday, Roach's former bandmate Gates — who was part of the Junkyard lineup from 1987 to 2009 — paid tribute to the singer on Facebook.
"I'm saddened to hear the news that David Roach has passed, but I'm grateful that he's no longer suffering," he wrote. "When I moved to LA, no one wanted to play with the fat guy from Texas. Then I heard David was moving out and I spent a couple of weeks tracking down a phone number for him. I called and told him we should start a band when he got to town. The rest is history."
He continued, "I loved him like a little brother. We had our ups and downs, but that never changed. My condolences to his brother and sisters, v and to the people who [loved] him or were touched by his/or songs. I'll miss playing music with him, but he'll always be an important part of me."
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