CJ Snare, the frontman and pianist for the hard rock group FireHouse, known for their successful singles in the 1990s, passed away at the age of 64.
On Sunday, April 7, the band announced the passing of Snare through a statement on the official Firehouse Facebook page.
“Today is a sad day for Rock N Roll. It is with great sorrow we are letting the world know we have lost our brother: CJ Snare, the rock and roll warrior, lead vocalist, and a founding member of Firehouse. CJ Snare passed unexpectedly at home Friday night, April 5, 2024. He was a young 64 years old.”
The band’s statement continued,
“To the entire Snare family, Katherine Little, friends, and all our beloved fans all over the world. ‘Reach for the Sky’ CJ! You will be forever missed by family, friends, fans and your band mates. You’re singing with the angels now.”
Who was CJ Snare?
C.J. Snare, who had previously been a member of Maxx Warrior, played a crucial part in the creation of FireHouse in 1987 and remained with the band for almost four decades until his passing.
Throughout his time with the group, he contributed vocals to all seven of their albums, including their highly successful first release, which achieved double platinum status and sold over two million copies.
In 1989, Firehouse joined Epic Records and went on to achieve success in the early ’90s with two power ballads, “Love of a Lifetime” and “When I Look Into Your Eyes,” which both landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Other successful songs by the group include Don’t Treat Me Bad (reached #19 on the charts), All She Wrote (peaked at #58), Reach For The Sky (reached #83), Sleeping With You (reached #78), and I Live My Life For You (peaked at #26).
CJ Snare’s Wife & Kids
CJ Snare and his wife Katherine Little began dating in 2015. According to her Facebook page, Little is originally from Newton, North Carolina but now lives in Celebration, Florida.
She has completed her studies in Web and Multimedia Design at The Art Institute of Charlotte. Currently, Little works at an advertising agency called Full Metal Chicken as an Accessibility Interaction Designer.
The couple share three children- two sons and a daughter.
Cause of Death
Six months after Snare announced that he needed abdominal surgery, he passed away. The band decided to delay their upcoming performances, but they also found a temporary replacement singer while Snare recuperated.
Merely seven days prior, Snare suggested that he would make a comeback on the stage, posting on a social media platform.
“Feeling Stronger Everyday ! I’ll be back on stage with FireHouse before you know it. Health is first so making a FULL recovery before my return.”
According to his daughter, he lost his battle with cancer on Friday, April 5th and his death was attributed to cardiac arrest.
The band’s statement expressed their shock regarding the loss of Snare’s life.
“As you are all aware, CJ was expected to be back on stage with the band this summer after recovering from surgery. We are all in complete shock with CJ’s untimely passing. CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with Firehouse non stop the past 34 years.”
