Matt Keil dead: Comeback Kid bassist dies at 39 after year-long health battle

The former bassist of punk band Comeback Kid, Matt Keil, has died aged 39 following a year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Matt, who was part of the Canadian band from 2008 until his departure in 2014, was featured on their albums 'Symptoms + Cures' and 'Die Knowing'.

Comeback Kid confirmed the tragic news in a post shared on their official Instagram page. They shared a slew of throwback photos with the band as well as a number of sweet behind the scenes snaps. They wrote: "It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our longtime friend and previous bass player Matt Keil.

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"Matt played in CBK from 2008 - 2014, a time when we were really starting to tour internationally on a more global scale. He was such an amazing friend and musician. Just the greatest guy to tour with, be around, and explore the world with.

"We are sending our love to his wife Maddie and their 2 daughters. We will honour his memory for all our years to come. We love you, Matt K."

Matt has two children with his wife Madeline Keil - Ellie, nine, and seven-year-old Zoey. Along with being a musician, he was also a realtor. The star was diagnosed with the degenerative disease, ALS, in May last year.

ALS a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time. It is a fatal disease with no known cure.

When he was first diagnosed, his wife set up a GoFundMe page describing his condition. "The aggressive progression of this disease within a year of diagnosis has hindered Matt’s independence & altered his family’s day-to-day lives," she told readers.

Madeline announced the devastating news of his death on July 13, writing: "It is with a shattered heart that I share that the love of my life and my very best friend passed away yesterday afternoon after a 19 month long battle with ALS

"We shared a harmonious marriage filled with laughter and joy. He was an amazing parent, my own personal comedian, and the very best partner. I will miss you for the rest of my life. I love you forever.”

His friends and fans paid tribute to him on Comeback Kid's social media page. One user wrote: "All my love. I’ll never forget recording his voicemail message on that Lowtalker / bane / strike anywhere / touché tour.

"One of the kindest and funniest people we’ve ever toured with. Condolences."

"He was a good man we shared so many laughs together," one said.

"God bless his soul and his family," and another added: "Sending lots of love to all of you and his family. Sorry for your loss."

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