It’s never easy learning of a loss, and it’s even tougher when it’s from a community you cherish so much. This week, the music world lost an incredibly talented musician when Andy James Chaves, lead singer of the band Katastro, passed away in a car accident.
ANDY JAMES CHAVES
According to Newport Beach police, around 12:45 a.m. on Thursday, a car carrying three people was traveling east on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach. The vehicle hit a curb in the median and then collided with roadwork construction equipment. The three people in the car, two men and one woman, died on the scene.
The vehicle’s passengers were identified as Crystal M. McCallum, 34, of Texas; Wayne Walter Swanson Jr., 40, of Newport Coast; and Andrew James Chaves, 32, of Arizona, according to Orange County Sheriff Sgt. Scott Steinle. Three road workers who were standing nearby when the collision occurred were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Andrew James Chaves
“ANDY”
Chaves was the front-man for Katastro, an alt-rock band founded in 2007 in Tempe, AZ. Through the years, the band worked incredibly hard, releasing six full albums, two acoustic, and a few EPs.
The group recorded and performed alongside bands such as Pepper, The Dirty Heads, and Sublime with Rome, who they recently performed with at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
PHOTO by The Corona Chronicles
Chaves leaves behind a wake of fans still ready to fall in love with his verses and music, each one heartbroken over the loss of someone who meant so much to them. From battling mental health to addiction, there are so many fans he helped, and now those fans are at a loss of words knowing this genuine soul is no longer with us.
Our love goes out to the Chaves family, Katastro, friends, and fans for their terrible loss.
