The Detroit music scene is still in shock after news surfaced Saturday night that Detroit Cobras co-founder and lead singer Rachel Nagy has died.
The announcement was made on the band’s official social media accounts by bandmate Greg Cartwright. Pitchfork reported that a representative for Nagy confirmed the news with them, though no cause of death has been given as of this writing.
Cartwright’s post included a tribute to his frequent collaborator.
“With the Detroit Cobras Rachel Nagy carried the torch of Rock, Soul and R&B to fans all over the world,” Cartwright wrote. “More than just a performer, she embodied the spirit of the music itself and vaulted it to new heights with her own deeply affecting vocal power. I know that I am not alone when I say that I was inspired by her vitality, her fierce intensity and her vulnerability.”
The Detroit Cobras was founded by Nagy in 1994 along with guitarist Mary Ramirez. Their first two albums, 1998’s Mink, Rat or Rabbit and 2001’s Life, Love and Leaving, were comprised of all ’60s covers, from pop tracks to lesser known soul songs. The band benefited from the garage rock wave in the early 2000s when UK record label Rough Trade Records signed them in 2004.
The Detroit Cobras were a familiar presence at the Magic Stick and the Metro Times Blowout in Hamtramck. Naturally they shared the same space with bands like the White Stripes. Jack White’s Third Man Records released their own tribute on their Instagram page.
“In both her voice and personality, Rachel Nagy was the perfect balance of tough badass and absolute sweetheart,” the post read. “From the earliest White Stripes shows at the Magic Stick in Detroit through the Third Man 10th anniversary show in Nashville, Rachel and the Detroit Cobras have been a consistent inspiring presence in our world for nearly 25 years. We will truly miss the sound of her room-filling laughter, her no bullshit honesty, and her true friendship. Rest in power.”
Nagy is survived by her brother Paul and her mother Marge.
Photo credit: The Detroit Cobras, Facebook
