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Grooveshark co-founder, 28, found dead in home
- jMyles 11y agoJeez we've lost a lot of good people in the past couple years.
- surge 11y agoMaybe Sean Parker wasn't wrong to be paranoid. /tinfoil hat
- tallerholler 11y agocan you expand?
- stevenspasbo 11y agoHe's implying the music industry killed him
- serge2k 11y agomotive is what exactly? They complete wiped the floor with them in court, what is gained by killing someone after that?
- flatulentone 11y agoHad he made any public statements regarding trade treaties? Without knowing what's in the treaties, it's tough to gauge how motivated the behind the scenes players are, and how far they would go.
- danielweber 11y agoAt best, this is a joke that is, at the current time, in very very poor taste.
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- kevando 11y agoDamn. It really sucks when a death gets clouded with confusion. Such a weird combination of emotion.
- tallerholler 11y agoterrible tragedy.. hopefully it wasn't suicide, grooveshark was a great product
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- ska 11y agoThat's not really how such statistics are useful.
- ad-hominem 11y agowww.usingmathpoorly.org
- goeric 11y agoJust awful. My condolences to his family and friends. Josh accomplished more in 28 years than most do in a lifetime, yet he had so much of his life left to live. Life is precious, and we can't waste a second of it.
- jkimmel 11y agoMy step-sister dated Josh for a while when I was growing up. My few memories of him consist mostly of Josh explaining technology to me at the dinner table in slow, careful words so that a middle school kid could understand. I remember him laughing with me about the crazy/terrible things I had done to overclock my Android Dev Phone 1 at a time when no one else I knew thought that was interesting. I remember feeling really cool when he hooked me up with free Grooveshark premium to be nice. It's strange. I haven't seen or heard from him in nearly a decade. He stopped dating my step-sister years ago. He likely wouldn't have remembered my name if you asked him. Still, I feel like a friend is gone.
- trevmckendrick 11y agoThank you for sharing this.
- emehrkay 11y agoI hope this doesn't come off as too selfish, but I hope that I can do things/interact with people that leaves a meaningful bond long after the relationship has "ended" Maybe paying it forward is the best thing to do in his memory.
- tsieling 11y agoI don't think that's selfish. When someone dies, it's very normal and healthy to reflect on how we spend our own time, as we're reminded of how precious it is.
- richardlblair 11y agoHonestly man, other than money that's all we can leave behind. Strive to do your best so that when you leave this world people miss you. That's how you know you did a good job.
- otherusername2 11y agoI think we don't even realise the impact we can have on people, deliberate or otherwise. Years ago, when I finished highschool, this guy came up to me and said "thanks for acting normal to me, it really helped me through the last four years". I kinda knew he got bullied, but I never really realized how much it bothered him or how my interaction with him affected him. He was just this guy, and on occasion I'd talk to him if I saw him in the hallways. Since then, I've always had the feeling that you don't really have to try hard to have a meaningful impact on other people's lives. Just be nice in general and you'll have more impact than you can imagine.
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- cowpewter 11y agoNo, there's not a connection. Just two, separate, tragic deaths. And currently, what is in the Sun article is all we know.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- simoncion 11y agoUnless Andres Torres is involved, there's likely no connection: "While visiting St. Petersburg [to celebrate friend Andres Torres's birthday], Vasquez was shot in the chest after a verbal argument with Andres Torres [in a Publix supermarket]." [0] I'm having some difficulty discovering the details of Mr. Torres's conviction and sentencing, but it has only been a year and a half since that shooting. My gut tells me that someone convicted of such a thing would serve more than one-and-a-half years. [0] http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-vasquez-murdered-2013-11 http://www.businessinsider.com/eddy-vasquez-murdered-2013-11
- mdp 11y agoStill in jail awaiting trial - http://www.pcsoweb.com/InmateBooking/SubjectResults.aspx?id=1570718 http://www.pcsoweb.com/InmateBooking/SubjectResults.aspx?id=...
- simoncion 11y agoHeh. 'Twould be nice if we were more reasonable about the things we make crimes so the justice system had the resources needed to mete out justice in a timely fashion to real dangers to society. :) I notice that there is a bond assessment for the kidnapping charge, but not the murder charge. Does that mean that he cannot get out on bail, or does it mean that if he posts $150k, he can get out on bail?
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- logicrime 11y agoI know the knee-jerk reaction is to assume foul play, but I knew him a little bit and he was as healthy as an ox. Or at least he was several months ago the last time I saw him. I don't know, but it would shock me to the bone if someone could truly get angry enough at a man like him, to try and hurt him. He knew like we all knew, Grooveshark was never going to last, but it reinforced the point that Napster proved and I think that was always one of the major goals of the project. That being said, I wish all the best to the Grooveshark family. It's never easy to lose someone like that, it always is hard.
- Udo 11y agoThe article pretty much rules this out, no idea where you got the foul play angle from: > "Lori Greenberg, his mother, said Monday he had no health problems and she was told by police who investigated Sunday night that there was no evidence of foul play, injuries or drugs."
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- alexqgb 11y agoWhen I was in high school, an exceptionally popular varsity athlete was killed in his sleep by an anyurism. It was profoundly shocking to realize that things like that could - and did - happen.
- dpark 11y agoSeemingly-healthy 28 year olds don't typically die at all, much less in non-obvious ways. An unexpected death rarely involves foul play. I'm sure the police are not ruling out possibilities at this point, but I'm equally sure that they are proceeding with the most likely avenues first.
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- rosser 11y ago
- intrasight 11y agoVery sad. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family.
- pvnick 11y agoJosh was an incredible man. He was an inspiration, and everybody that knew him admired him. Always friendly and helpful to everyone. He supported me professionally both while I was at Grooveshark and after I left, and I owe so much to him. This is very sad to hear.
- ladybro 11y agoTo say that Josh had a positive effect on those around him is a severe understatement. I only conversed with him a few times over the last two years, but am left with a heavy heart this morning after seeing the pain of the Gainesville community. My heart goes out to his girlfriend and all of those with tears running down their cheeks since last night. Rest in peace, and thanks for all you have done.
- djfm 11y ago"toxicology results would be done in two or three months" This seems like a long time, is it normal?
- jack9 11y agoYes. I had a relative die of morphine OD (needles! were still there next to him). It took months for confirmation from the medical examiner.
- tw04 11y agoNot excessively (it's not excessively long, yes it's normal). Toxicology is usually at least 8 weeks unless we're talking about someone famous enough to have it rushed.
- raverbashing 11y agoReal life is not a CSI episode, also labs have a limited processing ability But maybe tests are done in stages? Like, if nothing obvious shows up on first tests then some other ones are done?
- DanBC 11y agoI don't think anyone is expecting "enhance enhance enhance ah, this person had $SUBSTANCE in their blood", but months does feel a bit long. It'd be interesting to see what the bottlenecks are and how to improve them.
- fnordfnordfnord 11y agoState and local gov't funding level for forensic labs. It costs money to do it correctly, and nobody wants to spend that kind of money, even though we wind up paying more, and imprisoning people wrongly. http://www.texastribune.org/2013/04/05/commission-looks-misconduct-dps-worker/ http://www.texastribune.org/2013/04/05/commission-looks-misc... Harris county, Texas just recently got a new one because of similarly disturbing corruption and incompetence. http://www.harriscountytx.gov/ifs/ http://www.harriscountytx.gov/ifs/
- Shrugs 11y agoI interned at Grooveshark two summers ago; Josh incredibly changed my life for the better. The Summer with the Sharks program was transformative and catapulted me out of Louisiana and into the world of tech. He's such a happy and charismatic personality; the company outings, like going to Disneyworld, are some of my best memories. Talk about a life gone too soon. I'm pouring one out for Josh tonight.
- zbruhnke 11y agowhat part of Louisiana are you from? I don't meet many others from my neck of the woods in tech
- Shrugs 11y agoSlidell. I went to school at LaTech for a year and a half. I I recently found a fellow Google intern who's from Slidell as well, but we'd never met previously because we went to rival highschools.
- mintplant 11y agoWow, I never thought I'd run into someone else from Slidell on here. Did you go to Northshore High, by any chance?
- Shrugs 11y agoI went to Slidell High; the other Google intern went to Northshore. And now one more from Slidell. I love how the internet brought us all together even though we were previously so close but didn't know it.
- usea 11y agoI'm also from Slidell. What a surprise seeing this thread here on HN today. Went to Slidell High, too. Cheers.
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- austenallred 11y ago:(
- harryjo 11y agoThere's no need to perform a speculative autopsy on HN; I request the mods dispense strong guidance to posters in this thread.
- peterwwillis 11y agoSeconded; speculating about a person's demise before they're even in the ground is in stupendously bad taste. Family and friends (and others) don't want to read that crap. Give it a rest, people.
- simoncion 11y agoI would have no problem with public speculation about the manner of or motives behind the death of any of my friends or family. Most speculation is a bunch of hot air, but such threads also provide a place to talk about the deceased and his works, and to talk about other, related things. I, for one, appreciate the vast majority of conversation attached to this HN post.
- braythwayt 11y agoOn several scuba and climbing sites I visit, there is a strict separation between mourning a death and speculating/analyzing the cause. It may be a little different here, but the experience with risky sports is that a thread examining the cause may include suggestions that the person was somewhat at fault. Many of the people mourning someones passing would prefer such discussions not be interleaved with celebrating their accomplishments or friends grieving the loss. I certainly think both conversations should happen. But humans being human, it isn't always the best thing for them to happen in the same place at the same time.
- steveax 11y agoFirst, my condolences to friends and family. Josh clearly touched a lot of people in his life. And Yes, it's a terrific custom. Remember there will probably be many folks who knew Josh that might stumble into this discussion (I hope so, as the testimonials might provide some comfort.)
- jmtame 11y agoAs soon as I read the headline I was scared to read Josh's name in the article. I had the opportunity to interview him for a book, and I placed his interview at the very beginning of the book because I personally found it one of the most interesting. At the end of that phone call I thought to myself: if I was in Florida I would love to work with this guy. RIP Josh.
- itistoday2 11y agoJosh taught me that people, above everything else, are the most important part of a company. Sage advice that may seem obvious but too many fail to remember. I only knew him briefly, but I'm grateful for the chance to have known him. The other commenters are right, he was an incredibly positive person, and he did change Gainesville for the better. A great loss. My thoughts are with his friends and his family.
- udev 11y agoSad news. Josh created a service that was a pleasure to use. I discovered so much music using it. When Grooveshark closed, I moved to Spotify, which, IMO, has a very long way to go before it becomes what Grooveshark was in terms of music diversity.
- Jonathanks 11y agoI've never known him. I'm not from that side of earth and I never knew about Grooveshark. But I feel I've lost him; we've lost him. With teary eyes, my good wishes go to all who share this loss in substance or in spirit. Rest in peace Josh.
- curiousjorge 11y agoDamn, grooveshark was like the best thing since Napster. I was able to rip ton of music from it. I'll never pay for music unless it's an independent artist that needs the money. Taylor Swift can suck it.
- personjerry 11y agoYou should pay for whomever's music you enjoy regardless of whether they're an independent artist who needs the money.
- curiousjorge 11y agoget your ass off the high moral ground. I pay whoever I think deserves it.
- vonklaus 11y agowhile this comment is ridiculously ignorant and knee-jerk on the surface almost everyone under 30 subscribes to this even if they don't state it publicly or even believe it themselves.
- joshuapants 11y ago> almost everyone under 30 subscribes to this [citation needed]
- swombat 11y agoI'll probably get downvoted to oblivion for this, but who cares... I think paying money that ends up in the pockets of large record companies who then spend that money to pass laws that break the internet is morally reprehensible. I think buying music in this day and age is immoral. The faster the music industry collapses, the better off we all are. I am sorry if some artists have to pay for this too in some way, but we're all (both audience and artists) better off without the record companies, and step 1 is to stop giving them our money.
- HenryTheHorse 11y agoRest in peace, young man. Grooveshark was a fantastic service and the music brought joy to thousands of music lovers. Thank you.
- prajjwal 11y agoIf I were to list all the great bands/music I discovered on Grooveshark, and all the music from my childhood that I rediscovered, I would surely run into some kind of comment length limit here. RIP man, your work touched lives.
- hellbanner 11y ago"Lori Greenberg, his mother, said Monday he had no health problems and she was told by police who investigated Sunday night that there was no evidence of foul play, injuries or drugs." Then.. what the hell happened? I don't want to play conspiracy too hard here -- could be she's hiding some health issues? but given the recording industry's links with aggressive legislation (TPP, piracy laws), this makes me wonder: "Several record companies had sued the online music streaming service over copyright violations."
- jlillyreed 11y agotake it to reddit
- VaedaStrike 11y agoSad. Grooveshark always allowed me to find stuff I had a hard time finding otherwise. Good memories with my son when he was between one and two dancing in our little apartment living room to music from grooveshark. Condolences to family and friends. I don't know him, but he made something that has a part of several really good memories.
- mmaunder 11y agoSo sad. Not just the loss for his family and friends, but to lose an entrepreneur with all that wisdom that comes from the experience he had. We may have also lost the several more great startups that he would have created. RIP.
- beat 11y agoKeep in mind that there are health conditions that can kill seemingly healthy young adults instantly - aneurisms, heart attacks, brain cancers, and others. I'm reminded of one of my dogs dying of hemangiosarcoma - a cancer of the blood vessel linings that thankfully only happens to dogs, not humans. In many cases, the way we find out a dog has hemangiosarcoma is that the dog suddenly just drops dead. (In Rubu's case, it was three weeks from the first symptoms.) There are similarly fast and deadly cancers in humans.
- TillE 11y agoYeah. Deaths from undiagnosed heart conditions make the news every so often when it happens to young athletes. Sometimes very young. I believe just in the past few years, defibrillators have become standard equipment at football grounds in Spain and England.
- sliverstorm 11y agoUndiagnosed conditions aside, there is also commotio cordis, which I believe has killed a number of high school sportsmen.
- rytis 11y agoCommotio cordis (Latin, "agitation of the heart") is an often lethal disruption of heart rhythm that occurs as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart (the precordial region), at a critical time during the cycle of a heart beat causing cardiac arrest. It is a form of ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib), not mechanical damage to the heart muscle or surrounding organs, and not the result of heart disease. The fatality rate is about 65%. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commotio_cordis
- Turing_Machine 11y agoYes. A girl in my high school died of a brain aneurysm right in PE class. Perfectly healthy, by all appearances, then... gone, like turning out a light. As I recall, they said that she'd likely had it since birth.
- dylanz 11y agoUgh :( ... He was one of our favorite customers, and an insanely nice guy. Every time we got new company schwag, we'd swap! We were all a bit floored upon hearing this. My condolences to his family and friends.
- markhall 11y agoI had the pleasure of talking with Josh on more than one occasion - what a great guy. This is real sad news.
- markhall 11y agoI had the pleasure of talking with Josh on more than one occasion - what a great guy. This is real sad news.
- methodover 11y agoFuuuuuuck. Sometimes I think I have a good handle on death, and what it means. Sometimes I think I understand it. Sometimes I think I don't fear it. Then something like this happens and, just, _fuck_. I don't know how to handle it. Someone my age, doing something very similar to me, just dies. That's it. Story's over. A few weeks ago I told my CEO that I intended to quit and pursue a dream that I've been wanting to pursue for a long time now. My boss seemed pretty surprised -- it's a really good job after all, with good pay, at a good company. I gave him an argument that began with, "I'm going to die. Not like, I'm going to die soon. I don't have a disease or anything. I don't know when it's going to happen, but it could happen soon." And then I went on to talk about pursuing said dream. At the time it felt like a really silly argument -- like, I'm not even thirty yet and I'm thinking about how I'm going to die someday. Then something like this happens. And death feels so much closer, so much more real. Like a nightmare just waiting around the corner, ending my story before I'm done with it.
- peterwwillis 11y agoYes, you are going to die. You are also going to pay your taxes, get a girlfriend, buy a house, travel, have crazy adventures, and do all the other boring, amazing, stupid, wonderful things people do. I think it's a bit strange how people compare themselves and their lives to some imaginary metric, as if you need to get a certain number of points before the game ends. Sure, you can use strategy guides, wall bugs, and precise timing to win the prize as fast as you can with as high a score as you can. But the most important part of playing a game, much like living life, is not to win - it's to enjoy playing! It's not silly to want to accomplish things and to work towards your goals right now. But don't let the eventuality of death be the reason you get off your butt. Make it that you just really want to get in the game and play.
- marincounty 11y agoI felt like you do now when I was your age. I had a nervous breakdown, in part because of my extreme fear of death. After the breakdown, I knew my life was over. Meaning the life I envisioned for myself was over. I just wasn't the same person. I felt like an alien. Well, as the years went by, I managed to survive. Dying young is an anomaly. It's rare. Do what you want in your life, but you will probally make it to old age. It does go by quick, so have some fun. In my case, the fear of death lessened as I got older. The lessening of the fear of death might be the only thing that age offers? No--most fear went down with each year that passed. Some of it was learning? For instance, for years, I didn't declair a bankruptcy because I optimistically overstated my income on a credit card application. I talked to a good lawyer, and he said "You along with everyone else!". "Of course--no one admits it though?" (I not stating it's good to lie, but knowledge lessens fear. Along, with a good lawyer? Oh yea, if you live a risky life; get to know the legal system. Know those statute of limitations.) Again went off base, I just saying you will statistically make it old age.
- israellot 11y ago"Now hurry up and move to the US so you can come hang out and meet the team! ;-)" These were Josh's last words to me on an email.
- israellot 11y ago"Now hurry up and move to the US so you can come hang out and meet the team! ;-)" Josh's last words to me on an email.
- tmountain 11y agoI worked with Josh for over five years at Grooveshark. The day I applied for the job, he spent several hours pitching the company to me with rampant enthusiasm in hopes that I'd take a risk (and a huge pay cut) and come work with the team. From the day I took the job, I watched Josh tirelessly run through his pitch time and time again, always with the same attention to detail, and the same level of genuine interest in getting to know each candidate. He was frenetic and unflinching in his desire to succeed. Josh cared about his team, and he never let the negative chains of events that plagued Grooveshark over the years get the best of him. He kept a sticker on his desk that said, "this too shall pass", and even in the worst times, he'd give a wry smile and crack a joke to let everyone know that things weren't as bad as they seemed. I spoke with Josh at a bar downtown about two weeks ago, and he was again in good spirits. He had a new idea for a startup that he was preparing to begin work on in earnest, and he seemed genuinely excited about his path forward. In talking about Grooveshark, it was evident that closing that chapter in his life was a weight off his shoulders. Needless to say, I'm extremely sad to see Josh go. He was a dear friend and a hell of a human being. He opened countless doors for hundreds of people and helped create a true startup community here in Gainesville. Josh, you will be sorely missed.
- noir_lord 11y agoI'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Grooveshark was my absolute favourite website for close to a half a decade, I can't even count the hours I spent listening to it.
- hkmurakami 11y agoI echo your sentiments. I felt that it was the music service that put its users' experience before all other concerns (which surely lead to its legal issues). When there was a song I wanted to listen to, I came back to it time and time again, rebuffing Spotify and its ilk.
- vowelless 11y agoSame here. I was an early adopter and they maintained early adopter pricing until the end. I think I joined in 2009. I lived in 3 different countries and 5 different cities since then, and my playlists on Grooveshark were one of the few constants. I resisted using any other phone besides Android because of the app (which wasn't even on the app store) and only moved to an iPhone after they had been shut down. I am going to miss it sorely.
- efuquen 11y agoIt's no small understatement to say that I, and countless others, would not be where we are today without Josh, his mentorship, and his kind spirit. The world is a little darker today without him, but his influence will make it shine brighter still. Thanks for everything you taught us Josh, I hope you've found peace.
- MyNameIsMK 11y agoWhen will we realize that as entrepreneurs, founders and creators that we have to support each other? Let's have an open door policy when a fellow entrepreneur reaches out to us to ask for help, advise or just wants to talk to someone who can relate to what they are going through in starting, running and growing a new business or just life in general. There are those in our community who wake up and live breathe and are motivated by a mission to make an impact in the world. Its not all about the money. The true leaders of our generation are motivated by being of service to others. It costs no money to make a friend in your own community and let's not try to be so cut throat. We are the ones fighting giants who are failing every day to adjust their strategies to adopt to a new generation who could care less of "how it's always been done." RIP Josh. You will be missed by everyone.
- elkhourygeorges 11y agoThis is really sad. I study in UF while Grooveshark was taking off. I never met Josh but Grooveshark was creating a great startup vibe in Gainesville. I kept using it long after I moved to Seattle. Condolences to family and friends.
- godgod 11y agoWas Josh ... Aaron Swartz'd? Sad story.
- blu_jay 11y agoSad day. I'm good friends with Josh's younger brother and study at UF. It was definitely clear that the two of them shared the same sense of wonder and awe when it came to technology.
- matznerd 11y agoSo sad to hear this, he was a very nice guy and extremely friendly.
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- aagha 11y agoThis news both both shocking and painful. When I started my company, Josh was the first person to take a chance with our nacent technology. When Grooveshark recently shut down, I sent him a note telling him how sad I was to hear about their great service being shut down, and referneced roosevelt's The Man in the Arena poem. Josh wrote back: > Thanks man… I appreciate the kind words and also absolutely love that quote. > We’re not done yet… Grooveshark’s chapter is over but I’m at least happy to be free of the dark cloud and excited to move onto new things. > Onward and upward… > This is my personal email address by the way, so please do keep in touch. > Best of luck with everything at Metrical… hang in there. > Josh Always positive, supportive and kind, he was a mentor to me despite our considerable age difference. I'll miss him.
- traviswingo 11y ago"toxicology results will take two or three months." Did this bother anyone else?
- cbsmith 11y agoConsidering that's how about the time period we were told to wait for my brother-in-law's toxicology report, no.
- gorgak 11y agoi am utterly baffled about this, not that his death is not sad for some people but these quotes: 'A true technology pioneer and visionary 'His contributions, which helped to lay our region's innovative technology foundation, will not be forgotten' what is visionary or pioneering or innovative about stealing musicians songs to make money out of them!? youtube already did it along with a bunch of other sites, all of which did it illegally at the start and then tried to do deals afterwards to monetise their illegal content. its all fleas on the back of musicians work, and i find it disgusting.
- T3RMINATED 11y agoGoogle CIA Heartattack Gun
- schmappel 11y agoI never knew him and scarcely used GrooveShark. But reading through these comments it is clear we've lost a wonderful guy. Very sad this happened to him. Rest in peace, Josh.
- ank_9 11y agoR.I.P Josh :(
- turingbook 11y agoCan anyone explained to me that why Grooveshark did not convert into the same model as of Pandora or Spotify?
- turingbook 11y agoMaybe this is an explanation: https://medium.com/@492727ZED/steve-jobs-made-warner-music-sue-my-startup-9a81c5a21d68 https://medium.com/@492727ZED/steve-jobs-made-warner-music-s...
- s_q_b 11y agoI only knew Josh through his creation, Grooveshark, and it was truly an excellent company. I was very sad the day it shut down. From those who knew him personally he sounds like a true mensch. I wish I had the opportunity to know you, Josh. "No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were: Any man's death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind..." I'll be saying a prayer and pouring one out for you tonight.
- tempodox 11y ago... toxicology results will take two or three months. Wow, for people close to him, waiting for the results, that time must feel like an eternity. Why does it take that long?