Heart attack kills punk rock frontman, guitarist and producer Steve Albini

Steve Albini performs with Shellac during the Primavera Sound Festival in Madrid, Spain in 2021. File photo by Kiko Huesca/EPA-EFA

Albini founded the trio Big Black and toured and recorded with the band from 1981 until their dissolution in 1987. He also co-founded the punk rock trio Shellac, which recorded and toured in the 1990s and 2000s.

When he wasn’t recording or touring with his bands, Albini was successful as a record producer for many well-known bands, including Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, Jesus Lizard and Pixies.

Albini notably produced Nivana’s 1993 LP In Utero, the band’s final studio recording before the death of singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain.

Albini has also found success as a professional poker player, winning a gold bracelet and $105,000 in prize money at the 2018 World Series of Poker.

He won another gold bracelet and almost doubled his 2018 winnings at the 2022 World Series of Poker.

Albini was born in Pasadena, California, moved with his family to Missoula, Montana, as a teenager, and moved to the Chicago area while studying journalism after graduating from high school.