THE FOUNDING member and frontman of the hard rock/glam metal band FireHouse, C.J. Snare, tragically passed away on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Carl Snare, known professionally as C.J. Snare, was a singer, songwriter, and record producer with over four decades of experience in the music industry.
Who was Firehouse singer CJ Snare?
C.J. Snare was best known as being the lead singer of FireHouse, an American hard rock band that formed in 1984 in Richmond, Virginia.
Carl Jeffrey Snare was born on December 14, 1969, in Washington, D.C.
During his childhood, his family moved to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where he attended Lock Haven High School.
After graduating, he moved to Orlando, Florida.
Snare enrolled in Rollins College, where he initially studied theatre before switching his focus to music.
Beyond singing, Snare was a classically trained pianist and also played keyboards for several bands.
After college, Snare moved to the Carolinas, where he met bassist Perry Richardson.
Just a few years before forming FireHouse, Snare and Richardson formed a band called Maxx Warrior.
In 1984, just a few years after starting his music career, Snare, along with Richardson, formed FireHouse.
They were joined by guitarist Bill Leverty and drummer Michael Foster.
By 1989, the band had signed a major record deal with Epic Records.
In 1991, FireHouse won an American Music Award for Best New Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Group.
Snare himself garnered two ASCAP songwriting awards and was a voting member of The Recording Academy, known for its Grammy Awards.
Snare co-wrote the majority of the band’s songs throughout its 40 year history, and had seven songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 list, including:
- Reach for the Sky
- Don’t Treat Me Bad
- All She Wrote
- I Live My Life for You
- Love of a Lifetime
- When I look Into Your Eyes
- Sleeping With You
Beyond FireHouse, Snare was also known for making music with his other band, Rubicon Cross.
He also occasionally appeared with Scrap Metal.
In recent years, Snare worked as a producer and mixing engineer.
What was CJ Snare’s cause of death?
On Sunday, April 7, 2024, C.J. Snare’s daughter, Heather, revealed that her father had passed away on April 5, 2024.
She told TMZ that his official cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Snare was just 64 years old at the time of his death, but he had been dealing with a host of health issues over the last few years.
In September 2020, Snare was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
Thankfully, he received a life-saving operation the following year, which helped extend his life as he battled the disease.
In October 2023, however, Snare had to take an extended hiatus from FireHouse to undergo abdominal surgery.
He was replaced by Nate Peck, who provided lead vocals for the band.
Snare had intended to return to the band in mid-2024, joining them for their summer tour.
In a statement shared by music journalist Mitch Lafon via Facebook, FireHouse released a statement paying their respects.
“Today is a sad day for Rock N Roll,” they wrote.
“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.”
“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,” they added.
“CJ was was arguably one of the best vocal talents of a generation, touring the world with Firehouse non stop the past 34 years.”
“Our heartfelt condolences go out 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,” they finished.
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