Gin Blossoms

b. 1961, d. 5 Dec 1993, Tempe, AZ

After struggling for years against depression and alcoholism, chief songwriter Hopkins’ behaviour had became so unstable that it was necessary to eject him from the band.   His departure came in April 1992, soon after recording sessions for the album were completed. A bitter wrangle ensued, with the band reportedly forcing him to sign over half his publishing royalties in return for a one-off payment of $15,000 owed to him.  As Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You, two excellent songs he had written for the Gin Blossoms, became major hits, his personal problems increased. On December 3, 1993 he left a detox unit in Phoenix, Arizona, and shot himself.  He had been replaced in the band by Scott Johnson, but of more concern was how the Gin Blossoms would replace him as a songwriter. Although both Wilson and Valenzuela had written songs on the group’s debut album, critics were in no doubt as to who the author of the more compelling tracks was.