Phil Bonnet
May 5, 1960-February 2, 1999

Much beloved local indie producer Phil Bonnet was found dead early Tuesday morning of an apparent aneurysm. Bonnet was found by police in his car near his home in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood; he had returned from a recording session at Solid Sound studios in Hoffman Estates.

It would not be a gross exaggeration to say that the gregarious Bonnet had recorded just about every area band of note in the past decade: The Smoking Popes, The Slugs, Fig Dish, Eleventh Dream Day, New Duncan Imperials -- Bonnet's discography is too long to recount. Bonnet also played guitar in his own band Cheer Accident.

Warm, funny, and truly one of the most genuine people in the Chicago music world, Bonnet's success with recording bands was due as much to his affable nature as his professional talent. As one local band member who recorded with Bonnet pointed out, he was more than merely a producer -- he became almost an adjunct member of the bands he worked with. As Bonnet told IE in a 1991 interview, "I play in a band myself, and one thing I've learned about playing in a band is that it really helps a lot when you're engineering because you understand the mechanics involved." That perspective was one of Bonnet's greatest strengths.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memoria to the Phil Bonnet Arts Memorial Fund at the College Of Dupage, 425 22nd Street, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.