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The Lumineers' Hidden Tragedy: The Two Brothers Whose Deaths Defined Their Music

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The question of "which Lumineers brother died" often leads to a single story, but the truth is that two separate, profound tragedies involving the founders' brothers have shaped the band’s entire musical legacy. As of the current date, December 20, 2025, the band continues to tour and create music that is deeply rooted in these personal losses, transforming immense grief into the raw, emotional folk-rock anthems fans worldwide have come to cherish. This article delves into the two separate, yet equally defining, stories of loss that provided the emotional bedrock for The Lumineers' most powerful work. The band's founders, Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz, have both channeled their experiences with loss into their art, creating a powerful narrative that explores themes of addiction, family, and the enduring nature of love and grief. Understanding these stories is key to truly appreciating the depth and authenticity of The Lumineers' discography, from their early hits to their most recent, critically acclaimed albums.

The Lumineers Founders: A Biography of Loss and Music

The Lumineers was officially formed in 2005, but its emotional and creative foundation was laid years earlier in the wake of a devastating family tragedy. The band's core is comprised of two principal members, each with a story of loss that dramatically influenced their artistic direction.

Jeremiah Fraites: The Loss of His Brother, Josh Fraites

  • Full Name: Jeremiah Caleb Fraites
  • Role in The Lumineers: Drummer, Percussionist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Co-Founder
  • Hometown: New Jersey, USA
  • Tragedy: The death of his older brother, Joshua "Josh" Fraites.
  • Date of Death: 2001 or 2002 (Sources vary slightly, often cited as 2001)
  • Cause of Death: Heroin Overdose at age 19.
  • Impact: Josh's death was the initial catalyst for Jeremiah to move to New York and focus intensely on music, eventually meeting Wesley Schultz, who was Josh's childhood friend.

Wesley Schultz: The Sudden Death of His Brother, Samuel Schultz

  • Full Name: Wesley Keith Schultz
  • Role in The Lumineers: Lead Vocalist, Guitarist, Lyricist, Co-Founder
  • Hometown: Ramsey, New Jersey, USA
  • Tragedy: The sudden death of his younger brother, Samuel "Sam" Schultz.
  • Date of Death: Circa 2019/2020 (While the exact date is private, the news broke during the band's *Automatic* tour).
  • Cause of Death: Died suddenly at age 39. The exact cause has not been widely publicized, maintaining family privacy.
  • Impact: Sam's death occurred later in the band's career, leading to poignant live tributes and a deeper exploration of personal grief in their subsequent work and performances.

Josh Fraites: The Founding Tragedy and the Album *III*

The death of Jeremiah Fraites’ older brother, Josh, is the event that arguably set The Lumineers on their path. Josh Fraites died from a heroin overdose in 2001 at the age of 19. This tragedy left a deep scar on both Jeremiah and Wesley, who was a close childhood friend of Josh. In the aftermath of the loss, Wesley and Jeremiah found solace and purpose in writing songs together, a process that eventually led to the formation of the band. The profound impact of Josh's struggle with addiction and his subsequent death became the central theme for the band’s third studio album, *III*, released in 2019. The album is structured as a three-chapter narrative, focusing on three generations of a fictional, yet deeply personal, family grappling with the cycle of addiction and its devastating effects. The character arc is a clear, if fictionalized, reflection of the pain and complexity surrounding Josh's life and death. The Lumineers used the album *III* not just as a collection of songs, but as a complete visual and narrative project, releasing music videos for each chapter to fully tell the story. This commitment to narrative depth cemented the band's reputation for tackling difficult, emotionally charged subjects with sensitivity and raw honesty.

Songs Directly Inspired by Josh Fraites

  • "Josh" (Jeremiah Fraites Solo Work): While not a Lumineers song, Jeremiah Fraites released a deeply personal, instrumental track titled "Josh" on his 2021 solo album, *Piano Piano*. He wrote the piece in 2012 and described it as a direct tribute to his late brother, reflecting on the many ways Josh's death impacted his life.
  • The Entire *III* Album: Songs like "Gloria" and "Jimmy Sparks" from the *III* album are thematic extensions of the addiction and grief cycle that began with Josh's death. The album stands as the band's most direct exploration of the subject.
  • Early Songwriting: The very act of Wesley and Jeremiah writing songs together in the early 2000s was a direct result of their shared grief over Josh, making much of their early work a response to the tragedy.

Samuel Schultz: A Sudden Loss and Poignant Live Tributes

Years after the band achieved global success, Wesley Schultz faced a tragedy of his own when his younger brother, Samuel "Sam" Schultz, died suddenly at the age of 39. This unexpected loss occurred while The Lumineers were on tour, leaving Wesley thousands of miles from home when he received the news. Unlike the long-term struggle that influenced the *III* album, Sam’s death was a sudden, sharp blow that Wesley has chosen to honor through intensely personal live performances. The public, and the band's fan base, learned of the depth of this loss through a moving tribute Wesley performed during the band's concerts.

The Emotional Tribute to Sam Schultz

Wesley Schultz dedicated a cover of the Talking Heads song "This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)" to his late brother during several shows. Before performing the song, Wesley would often share a heartfelt story: Sam had specifically requested that Wesley play this song as the first dance at his wedding. By performing this cover, Wesley created a powerful, shared moment of grief and remembrance with his audience, transforming a classic new wave track into a deeply personal folk-rock elegy. This dedication cemented Sam's memory into the band's live experience, showing how even a sudden, private tragedy can be woven into the public tapestry of their music. The tribute reinforced the band’s identity as artists who use their music to process and share their most vulnerable human experiences. The combined stories of Josh and Sam underscore the powerful, often heartbreaking, reality that fuels The Lumineers' songwriting. Their music is a testament to the fact that great art can be born from the deepest personal sorrow, creating a lasting connection with listeners who have experienced similar grief. The band continues to honor both brothers, ensuring their legacies live on in every chord and lyric.
The Lumineers' Hidden Tragedy: The Two Brothers Whose Deaths Defined Their Music
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