Well-regarded music producer and two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Steve Albini handed away Tuesday evening at age 61 after struggling a coronary heart assault.
In a profession relationship again to the early Nineteen Eighties, Albini produced albums for bands like Nirvana, Pixies, Bush, PJ Harvey, the Breeders, Chevelle, Joanna Newsom, and extra, figuring out of his Electrical Audio studio, whereas additionally performing along with his personal bands Big Black and Shellac.
Albini was well-known for his opposition to conventional report trade contracts, refusing to take royalties from the artists he produced for. He engineered the recording of greater than 3,000 information total, most notably Nirvana’s In Utero.
The Chicago resident additionally had a ardour for poker and accrued greater than $370,000 in dwell event winnings in a profession stretching again to 2010, whereas taking part in in an everyday residence sport for a few years.
The key to poker is managing threat, it’s one of many only a few video games the place the items on the board are cash. There’s a false impression that poker is a card sport that entails cash, it’s really a betting sport that entails playing cards.
— Steve Albini (@AlbiniSteve) February 26, 2021
Diverse Career & Interests
As a producer, Albini labored with a variety of artists from various rock to Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to folks acts and singer-songwriters.
“The recording part is the part that matters to me — that I’m making a document that records a piece of our culture, the life’s work of the musicians that are hiring me,” Albini instructed The Guardian final yr. “I take that half very critically. I would like the music to outlive all of us.”
Poker was an enormous a part of Albini’s life as effectively and he performed in a house sport for years with prime combined sport execs corresponding to Brandon Shack-Harris, Eric Rodawig, Jason Gola, Matt Ashton, and Matt Grapenthien.
In 2018, Albini grabbed his first WSOP bracelet in a $1,500 Seven Card Stud occasion for $105,629. Four years later one other bracelet got here his means in a $1,500 H.O.R.S.E occasion for $196,089.
“Everything in my life comes in pieces, in parts,” he stated after the second win. “Poker is one part of my life. So when I’m playing poker, I try to commit to it. I try to take it seriously. I try to make sure I devote the attention to it that it deserves as an occupation. But it’s only part of my year. I only play tournaments at the World Series of Poker. I play cash games informally in Chicago. It’s a part of my livelihood, but it’s not my profession.”
Albini is survived by his spouse, movie director Heather Whinna.
In 2020, Albini was interviewed for an episode of Card Player’s Poker Stories Podcast.
Shocked and saddened to listen to concerning the loss of life of @electricalWSOP. We performed poker collectively on many events, and all the time had the very best time. Steve was actually considered one of a form. Damn.https://t.co/3vLLkYpjzI
— Richard Roeper (@RichardERoeper) May 8, 2024
Sad to listen to concerning the passing of Steve Albini. He was one of the fascinating and principled folks I met in poker, and it’s all the time cool when somebody who has nice success in life decides to spend the free time they’ve earned taking part in some playing cards. RIP https://t.co/HU2UqZeOA6
— TonyDunstTV (@tonydunsttv) May 8, 2024
10 years in the past I used to be within the studio with Steve Albini and a band I used to be working with on the time – he reduce a day’s session quick as a result of he obtained a name there was a “whale” at a poker sport in Indiana and wished to drive on the market to try to clear him out.
RIP legend
— Jonathan King (@jonoking138) May 8, 2024
My favourite truth about Steve Albini is him being a high-stakes skilled poker participant. The man answerable for influencing rock and he finally ends up profitable $100k at a Worlds Series of Poker event whereas carrying a Cocaine Piss shirt (and once more 4 years later) pic.twitter.com/9b269npIKG
— Parallel_LCD (@Parallel_LCD) May 8, 2024
