Athens, Georgia-based singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt died on December 25, following a coma brought on by an overdose of muscle relaxers. He was 45.

Chesnutt had been open about his his numerous suicide attempts and ongoing struggle with depression, largely brought on by the trauma of an auto accident at age 18 that left the then-budding musician a quadriplegic. (Intoxicated, Chesnutt drove his car into a ditch.) Confined to a wheelchair, he harnessed his remaining motor skills and continued playing guitar, writing songs, and performing. His raw folk rock caught the attention of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, who produced Chesnutt’s first two albums, Little (1990) and West Of Rome (1991), and later said he thought Chesnutt was “one of our greatest songwriters, one of our greatest voices.”

More albums followed, including a 1995 collaboration with Widespread Panic, but it was in 1996 that Chesnutt received a big-time boost with the release of Sweet Relief II: Gravity Of The Situation. Like its sister compilation, 1994’s Sweet Relief, on which artists like Pearl Jam and Lou Reed covered songs by Victoria Williams to raise funds for musicians’ medical expenses, the focus of the second Sweet Relief tribute was Chesnutt’s music, which attracted many famous fans, including Soul Asylum, Madonna, Kristin Hersh, and Indigo Girls.

One of my favorite tracks on Sweet Relief II is the opener, “Kick My Ass” (from 1993’s Drunk), performed by one of my favorite bands, Garbage. Lead singer Shirley Manson had befriended Chesnutt years before while touring with her previous band, Angelfish, sharing a bill as opening acts for Live. Chesnutt taught Manson how to play his song, “Kick My Ass,” an experience she rhapsodizes about in the Sweet Relief II liner notes:

“During that tour I was to fall madly in love with Vic’s music and in particular the song ‘Kick My Ass.’ I dreamed endlessly of recording a version myself. Having totally converted the rest of [Garbage] into rabid fans, we jumped at the chance to record a track for Sweet Relief. A noble cause indeed, to lend a hand is considered a pleasure, but to pay tribute to the brilliance of one of the finest songwriters I’ve had the honor to meet is a thrill beyond measure.”

Hear here:

If, like me, you weren’t as familiar with Chesnutt’s more recent musical adventures, listen to his interview with NPR’s Fresh Air interview from early December promoting At The Cut, an album featuring Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. Frankly, I found the nearly 40-minute-long segment a bit uncomfortable to listen to and even sad in parts, mostly because Chesnutt sounds so matter-of-fact (and even beyond reach) while discussing his accident, suicide attempts, and depression. But Vic Chesnutt’s very realness is what drew so many to his music and why so many he encountered during his 45 years also became his friends.

Purchase Sweet Relief II: Gravity Of The Situation (unavailable for digital download) via Amazon, eBay.