Patrick Desiato, who played bass and wrote songs for the Philadelphia rock band Cheer Up Dusty, has died. He was 36.
His bandmates shared his Nov. 9 death, calling him their friend and brother in a Nov. 10 announcement on Instagram. They did not disclose a cause of death.
"Pat was a creative mastermind, his influence on our band is not measurable," his bandmates wrote in an Instagram tribute. "Pat was our brain, he was our heart, he was every important organ you don't see when looking at a person but they need to function."
Desiato's family told his bandmates they played him "I Believe in You" as he was dying, the group wrote. The song appeared on the band's 2021 release "EP 2: A Collection of Singles." Desiato wrote and arranged the music for
the entire EP and recorded every guitar and bass part.
"He was a soldier, a warrior. He was simply fantastic," the statement said. "The word love doesn't feel strong enough on how we feel about you Pat and what this all meant to us. Everything we do going forward will forever be for you."The bandmates thanked their fans for their love, support and prayers.
Desiato helped write the 2022 single "Everybody Hates Me," which his bandmates called their biggest song. The track began as a demo by guitarist Brayan Marin, who told All the Alt Things that Desiato initially doubted he could improvise a bass part.
"Pretty soon we figured out that Patty can jam and be creative on the fly," Marin said.
Cheer Up Dusty credited Desiato on bass again for its March single "Everybody Hates Me II." His bandmates said he kept recording at home once he grew too ill to work in the studio. They said his bass parts will appear on releases scheduled into 2027 and that they have permission to use demos and lyrics he left behind.
"Everything we do going forward will forever be for you," they wrote. "And Pat, thank you for allowing us to create with you. We hope in the next life you choose us again."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rock musician dies at 36, band announces in emotional tribute
