He might have been complex, but Vic was NOT miserable nor was he a bastard (though yeah, politics, religion, not being able to get around easily in his wheelchair, and the whole state of the world bummed him out).In addition to being one of the most transcending performers any of us could hope to ever see (it always blew my mind that in the last years his shows were so sparsely attended--I knew people were missing out), he was an amazing friend, and a great neighbor, who in just the past three years showed his love by performing at a friend's divorce party, at Ted Hafer's memorial rock show, and at my birthday party---with no hesitation, just because he was asked (these are just a few of the many examples of how he was a great friend--NOT a bastard).
He was (deservedly) well loved by so many people (http://www.orangetwin.com/). It's the saddest thing ever for so many that despite how much we all loved him, we couldn't break through to him enough to convince him to stay. During the last week of his life, he tried desperately to get into a mental health facility, but because they weren't equipped to accommodate a disabled person, and because his insurance was inadequate, he was unable to get there in time.
The only consolation now is that at least he is out of pain---"debriefing"--- and that hopefully people will donate enough money to pay off his bills and take care of Tina.
In your coverage, please don't bind him in some "artist as a**hole" straightjacket---because he most certainly was NOT. Vic Chesnutt was one of the most amazing and talented and noble human beings the world has ever known, a person who surmounted overwhelming physical setbacks to create greatness. He was a great Southern poet. He was kind, he was loving, and like most of us, sometimes he was depressed.
Hopefully somewhere he is "splendidly full of life, wandering the countryside"...
He might have decided it was his time, but we're the ones who aren't ready.
He'll be missed forever.

I had maybe heard of him once ever, then saw him open for Jonathan Richman in Minneapolis 2-3 years ago and while it was impressive to see him go through all it took to get himself around, up on stage, go through a [long] set, tell stories, etc., the overall mood was just disinterest. There was maybe one song that struck me as witty or catchy; the rest of the time I was just bored out of my skull at having to sit in what was then a very smoky, jam-packed bar to wait for Jonathan. If there was supposed to be some deeper connection to something, it was lost on me.

Camille, this is a misquote!!
"Vic was a miserable bastard with a heart that was connected to the center of the world," Chesnutt's former tourmate Mark Eitzel wrote over the weekend on his blog."

Here is the correct quote from Mark Eitzel's blog, emphasis mine:

"*Vic* wanted you to think he was a miserable bastard but his heart was connected to the center of things." He continues with, "He couldn't help it. The world and its occupiers annoyed him - but whatever he said it was beautiful part of nature. A poet. In the flow of things. Few people are like that. Most of us can't care or live or feel too

Vic wanted you to think he was a miserable bastard but his heart was connected to the center of things. He couldn't help it. The world and its occupiers annoyed him - but whatever he said it was beautiful part of nature. A poet. In the flow of things. Few people are like that. Most of us can't care or live or feel too much. We let it go. We kill it. We forget. Most of us let our pains, our shells, our habits lock us into who we are.

Some rise above.

It is awful he is gone. I thought that he had a pure heart. I thought he was a sweetheart. His songs always made me want to write write write songs myself."

@Jamie

I think Mark Eitzel edited his piece after it was first posted. I copied and pasted the quote directly from the original post on Saturday afternoon, even though this didn't run until Monday morning.

Damn, that sound's so easy if you think about it.