Ben Kweller, Austin musician, announces death of 16-year-old son Dorian

AUSTIN (KXAN)– On Tuesday, Austin singer-songwriter Ben Kweller announced the demise of his son, Dorian Zev Kweller. He was 16.

In an Instagram write-up, Kweller explained Dorian was killed Monday night in a motor vehicle crash.

The Dripping Springs neighborhood held a vigil in his honor Tuesday evening.

“He just he was an wonderful, gifted, caring individual who just wanted everybody to be delighted,” said Dorian’s pal Collin Beck.

Dorian was a musician, just like Kweller, and introduced several songs less than the name Zev, according to an article from Enjoyment Tonight News.

Dorian was signed to document label The Sounds Corporation, who reported he died in a “tragic event” Monday night time in a Facebook submit.

“It’s with great unhappiness that we have to even say this… in a tragic function very last night time, we lost Dorian Kweller, who on this web site we know as @reallyzev … this youthful male represented all the things positive in everyday living and the long run. A sort coronary heart, a smile that illuminated the world and enthusiasm for daily life and new music,” the assertion said in section.

In his Instagram write-up, Kweller explained Dorian wrote and recorded music every single working day. Dorian was preparing to perform at SXSW in March.

“A legitimate poet from the working day he commenced talking,” Kweller claimed. “Only a couple of his recordings were launched but he was on a path and psyched about his journey. He experienced so numerous designs!!! His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW.”

Kweller mentioned his past textual content with Dorian was about the merch he desired to make.

“We’re in full shock and really don’t know what the future retains,” Kweller claimed. “Lizzy, Judah, and I have no thought how to offer with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and help and we apologize if we are sluggish to react to messages.”

Dorian’s pals mentioned he was 1 of the most proficient men and women they realized.

“You give him a bass guitar, acoustic guitar, ukulele, a piano, he could participate in it all. He just preferred to share the music with persons and he wanted people to enjoy it,” Beck said.

How is the audio neighborhood reacting?

Rikky Hardy with the Wellness Alliance for Austin Musicians said Ben and his family have produced a lasting effects on the music community in Central Texas.

“Ben has been a big advocate for musicians acquiring entry to well being care in Austin,” Hardy mentioned.

She explained now it’s time for that group to uplift the Kweller relatives.

“The Austin audio community is definitely rallying all-around Ben and I, I hope and imagine they will continue to do so and help them by way of this,” Hardy said.

Past tale with the Kweller family

In 2019, Kweller spoke with KXAN about how the relatives nearly endured a different tragedy in 2013.

Kweller, his spouse Liz and his sons, Dorian and Judah, were being in the mountains of New Mexico on trip. “My spouse woke up in the center of the night time and claimed, ‘Ben, get up. Something’s horribly completely wrong,’” Kweller claimed. “And I stood up and quickly collapsed to the ground.”

The pair was equipped to make it out of the household and afterwards figured out they ended up all exposed to acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

“That was the to start with time the place I was seriously, like, rattled to my core and realized just how particular my loved ones is,” the normally go-with-the-movement musician spelled out. “And it just set almost everything in standpoint.”

Kweller stepped absent from music adhering to the incident in New Mexico. In 2021, he produced “Circuit Boredom” — his first album in just about a decade.