Why did 56-year-old Paul Woseen die?

Paul Woseen, founding member of Newcastle rock band The Screaming Jets, passed away today, aged 56. In the statement made on the group’s social media account, the group said:

It is with broken hearts that we tell you that our beloved brother in rock, Paul Woseen, passed away today. We are shattered as we deal with the loss of Paully, he was a bright light in all of our lives. Our hearts go out to Paully’s family and we ask that you respect our need for privacy at this time.

The news that the band was preparing to release their new album with Woseen on October 6 and embarked on an extensive national tour from November to February came as a shock to fans.

Woseen, along with Dave Gleeson, was the only constant member of the group; They formed in the 1980s and took the name Screaming Jets in 1989, just before the release of their debut album All For One, and broke out with the hit Better. Woseen’s powerful bass line opens the track and became the opening beat of a career that would later span four decades.

Woseen penned over thirty Screaming Jets songs across 7 albums; among them was the monster hit Helping Hand, from the band’s second album, Tear of Thought. The song introduced the band to a whole new audience with its horn instrumentation and darker pop rock sound, while still managing to rock.

The song peaked at #25 on the ARIA Chart and was voted at #56 on Triple M’s “Ozzest 100” in 2018, demonstrating the song’s enduring popularity.