Quincy, Illinois Mourns Guitarist Jason Priest, a Founding Member of StageCrew

The Quincy, Illinois music community is grieving the loss of Jason Priest, a guitarist, artist, and creative force who spent decades shaping the local rock scene. Priest passed away surrounded by his family, and those who knew him say he felt no pain in his final moments.

The news spread quickly through social media, where tributes from bandmates and old friends began pouring in almost immediately.

Priest was a founding member of StageCrew, and the band was among the first to share word of his passing. In a heartfelt post, the group described him as someone whose infectious laughter and joyful spirit would forever resonate with everyone who crossed his path.

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He was not just a musician to his bandmates. He was the energy in the room, the person who made rehearsals feel like celebrations and made every show worth showing up for.

Kirby Ray, a longtime friend and fellow musician, remembered meeting Priest in eighth grade when the two shared a locker at school.

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That small coincidence turned into a friendship that lasted for decades and produced music across multiple bands, including The Honey Offering and Gikk.

Priest also founded Steerjockey, further cementing his place in the Quincy music fabric. Ray described him as someone who is now at peace, a sentiment echoed by nearly everyone who left a comment beneath the memorial posts.

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What stands out most in the remembrances people shared is not just the music but the person behind it.

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Friends described Priest as someone who seemed to always be laughing, who never took things too seriously, and who had a way of pulling everyone around him into whatever good mood he was carrying.

John Headrick, who recalled weekend jams in a friend’s basement, wrote that Priest was the life of the party and would be missed by many. Timexx Seabaugh agreed, adding that you simply could not help but laugh along with him.

Well said Timexx. Many good weekend jams in Fords basement. Jason was such a blast to be around. RIP old friend…..

Patrick Stephens, who had lost touch with Priest over the years, said he was saddened to hear of his passing and that the two had always gotten along well.

Others, like Miles Walker, imagined him already up in rock and roll heaven, jamming alongside others the Quincy scene has lost. Chari Lynn Rothrock noted that he was younger than her, and that it is far too soon to be saying goodbye to someone like him.

Jason Priest leaves behind a community that is smaller without him, a catalog of music made across bands that spanned years and genres, and a reputation built not just on talent but on warmth.

The kind of person who makes a local music scene feel like a family rather than just a collection of performers, he gave Quincy something that cannot be easily replaced.

His family was with him when he passed, and those who knew him take comfort in knowing he did not suffer. For the friends, fans, and fellow musicians left behind, the grief is real, but so are the memories. And by every account, there are a lot of good ones.