Screaming Trees cofounder Van Conner passes away at 55

Screaming Trees cofounder Van Conner has passed away at 55.

In a post on Facebook announcing that his brother had died Tuesday night, Gary Conner said that Van battled health issues over the past year, but said that, "It was pneumonia that got him in the end."

Van Conner played bass and wrote songs for Screaming Trees. He formed the band with his brother, Gary Lee Conner on guitar, and singer Mark Lanegan in 1984 in Ellensburg, Washington. The band evolved into the 1990s, amid the Seattle grunge era, alongside other major names like Mudhoney, Nirvana, and Soundgarden.

RELATED: Mark Lanegan, Screaming Trees singer and voracious collaborator, dies at 57

After releasing albums via local labels, such as K Records and Sub Pop, Screaming Trees achieved a major label contract with Epic in 1990. They released their most successful album in 1992, "Sweet Oblivion" with popular tracks "Nearly Lost You," "Shadow of the Season," and "Dollar Bill."

Conner also served as a session musician through the 1990s, and performed in side projects, such as Solomon Grundy. He also was a member of Dinosaur Jr. when the band toured in 1990 and 1991.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, Gary Lee Conner provided an update on his brother's condition, saying he was making progress, "but we nearly lost him." He noted that Van was in a coma twice last year, and underwent stomach surgery and suffered a blood clot in his lung, among other health issues.

"He has many more songs to write," Gary wrote at the time.

Van Conner's death comes nearly a year after the death of Screaming Trees' singer Mark Lanegan, who passed away in February 2022 at the age of 57.