Kevin Bronson on November 24th, 2017

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Tommy Keene, a new wave sensation in the 1980s who became a power-pop hero over the course of an 11-album, 35-year career, died Wednesday night. He was 59.

The genial singer-songwriter-guitarist, who spent this summer on tour with Matthew Sweet, died in his sleep at his Los Angeles home, according to a statement on his website.

Keene, beloved by his peers and regarded as a top guitar pop craftsman, played alongside the likes of Paul Westerberg, Guided by Voices’ Robert Pollard, the Goo Goo Dolls, Matthew Sweet, Richard X. Heyman, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, the Gin Blossoms and the Velvet Crush. His 1989-96 output included the highly regarded albums “Songs From the Film” (including the single “Places That Are Gone”), “Ten Years After” and “Isolation Party.” He enjoyed a prolific last decade, highlighted by the albums “Excitement at Your Feet” (2013) and “Laugh in the Dark” (2015), along with the 2010 career retrospective “Tommy Keene: You Hear Me.”

The Washington Post today celebrated the Keene’s “bittersweet brilliance.”

There were myriad other tributes as well:

In loving memory of Tommy Keene https://t.co/2bEe2HiUvQ pic.twitter.com/uOnQMZHVAs

— Guided By Voices (@_GuidedByVoices) November 24, 2017

Shocked and saddened to report my dear friend Tommy Keene has passed away. We loved you Tommy! He was a true classic, and a wonderful friend. Long may the music and the man be remembered. His songs are playing in my heart now… pic.twitter.com/fy2u9yNWxu

— Matthew Sweet (@iammatthewsweet) November 24, 2017

Other musicians also paid tribute via social media:

“Tommy Keene will always be one of the greatest pop/rock songwriters of all time,” Jon Wurster of Superchunk said. “He was also one of the best melodic guitar soloists on the planet. It was an honor to have known and played with him.”

“I am absolutely devastated to hear that Tommy Keene has left us,” Ted Leo wrote. “My overall impression is that his talent was surpassed only by his kindness. Those who knew him better will corroborate, I’m sure.”

Which was true: “He was the best singer of our generation, in my opinion. And one of the good guys of rock,” Peter Holsapple of the dB’s said.

And in a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, his former bandmate Ric Menck remembered: “He had a memory like an elephant. He could remember every club he ever played, what the toilets were like, the bartender’s name, what color the carpet was in the dressing room, everything. He also remembered people, and not just the important people, but everyone who ever came up and shook his hand. He truly loved to engage with his fans. We used to call it, ‘working the fanbase,’ and Tommy did it, not because he had to, but because he loved meeting people who appreciated his music. Tommy knew what it was like to be a fan. He never lost his fan-like zeal for rock ’n’ roll.

“You’ll hear a lot about how Tommy played with famous guys like Bob Pollard and Paul Westerberg, but he was also in our little band, Velvet Crush, and he wasn’t just a sideman, he was a full-fledged member of the group. I know he loved playing with us, because 20 years ago when the rest of us lost faith Tommy never gave up hope. For years after VC fractured he would ask me when we were getting back together again, and the saddest thing is, we are finally in the process of getting back together, and Tommy was gonna be right there in the thick of it with us, just like the old days. In fact, the four of us got together recently and rehearsed at Jeffery’s house when we were in Rhode Island. It was an exciting day for all concerned, but no one was more excited about it than Tommy. I’ll cherish that afternoon for the rest of my life.”