Chi Cheng's Death: 'Deftones' Bassist's Heart 'Suddenly Stops' while Recovering from Car Accident-Induced Coma

After living in a "partially conscious" state since the unfortunate car accident that put the musician in a coma back in 2008, the 'Deftones' bassist Chi Cheng, 42, has reportedly died this weekend.

"His heart just suddenly stopped," Cheng's mother, Jeanne Marie Cheng, revealed on One Love for Chi website. Cheng was taken to an emergency room in Sacramento, where the talented musician died at 3 a.m on April 13th, reports Rolling Stone.

"He left this world with me singing songs he liked in his ear. He fought the good fight," his mother wrote. "You stood by him sending love daily. He knew that he was very loved and never alone."

On November 4th, 2008 in Santa Clara, California, Cheng was the passenger of a car that was involved in an accident, which resulted in the bassist being ejected from the vehicle (he was not wearing a seat belt at the time), and left him in a coma and fighting for his life.
Although improving, but never fully recovering, Cheng's fight sadly came to an end on Saturday after hanging on for nearly 5 years.

The One Love for Chi site, upon which his mother posted the sad news on Sunday, "was set up to offer news updates and offer a donation option, to help offset mounting medical costs, and his Deftones band mates (plus special guests) performed two benefit shows in 2009. The group has continued on with 'Quicksand' bassist Sergio Vega assuming Cheng's spot," Stone states.

As LA Times reports, "Cheng was the bassist on the first five albums for the Sacramento hard rock act, whose debut album, "Adrenaline," was released in 1995 after the band signed with the Warner Music Group. The Deftones had a commercial breakthrough on sophomore effort "Around the Fur," and 2000's "White Pony" and 2003's self-titled effort each reached the top 5 on the Billboard pop chart. 

The Deftones, sadly forced to move on without their original bassist, recently released their seventh album, "Koi No Yokan," via Warner Bros. Records, and a spokeswoman for the label said the company was prepping a statement on Cheng's passing.

Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno wrote on his official Facebook page, "Rest in peace Chi Cheng."

Moreno has previously spoken of the "emotional devastation" of his bandmate's unfortunate accident, notes LA Times, while also stating that it brought the rest of the band closer together. The band had previously been on the verge of break-up when they were working on their last album with Cheng in 2006,"Saturday Night Wrist."

The bassist's accident was like a wake-up call that finally put a stop to the "infighting" that nearly tore the group apart. The Deftones "regrouped" shortly after Cheng's accident, scrapping an album that the band had nearly finished with the bassist. 

"One of our members was taken down," Moreno told The Times in 2010 of the metal band's co-founder. "The little things that were getting in the way of us being friends and having fun seemed minuscule compared to what just happened to us."

The Recording Academy President Neil Portnow called Cheng "a powerful bassist who was larger than life on stage," reveals CNN.

"Although the group's early years were more heavy-metal-based, they were one of the first bands to incorporate a more alternative and ethereal sound into their thunderous and visceral music, blazing a trail that newer bands continue to follow today," Portnow said. "The music industry has lost a proud and passionate performer all too soon, and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, his bandmates, and his fans worldwide who are mourning his untimely and unfortunate passing."