James Woolley, Nine Inch Nails Keyboardist, Dead at 50

SANTA MONICA, CA — Former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist James Woolley died this weekend. He was 50.

News of Woolley's passing was announced on Facebook by his ex-wife, Kate Van Buren.

"I wanted our friends to know so you can please keep Brendan, Mary and Anne, the Woolley family and all his loved ones in your prayers," she wrote.

Woolley joined NIN in 1991, replacing Lee Mars. He remained with the band until 1994. In 1995, He won a Grammy Award with the band for his live performance on the track "Happiness In Slavery."

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"We are saddened to learn of the death of former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist James Woolley," said Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy. "We offer our deepest condolences to James' family, friends and all those who had the privilege and honor of working with him."

The Santa Monica-based Recording Academy is the organization that hands out the annual Grammy Awards.

"James worked hard and played hard with NIN. He brought coolness to playing keyboards, which isn’t as easy to do as playing guitar or drums," Van Buren wrote. "Those years were truly magical and quite an adventure."

After leaving NIN, Woolley collaborated with such acts as 2wo and VOID.

The cause of the death has not been disclosed.
By Alexander Nguyen, Patch; Photo courtesy of Kate Van Buren