Scott Sechman has died at the age of 72.
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The longtime musician had been chronicling his battle with lung cancer on social media for several years. His death was confirmed by an online tribute from Dare Arts and reported by PennLive.
Who Is Scott Sechman?
According to his website, Sechman had been playing music since he was 15. Although he made a name for himself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, he didn't release his debut album until his late 50s.
His self-titled record included songs he had written since 1982. It also featured guest appearances by country musicians Danny Ott, Bruce Borden, and Frank Cotinola.
"I don't know if I succeeded, but I gave it a fair shot," he shared on his website. "I realized these might not be great songs, but if I don't move now I'll end up with nothing, so use what ya got."
Sechman was also a beloved presence at Dare Arts in Manteo, North Carolina. The venue honored him by sharing a video of one of his performances.
"Everyone at Dare Arts would like to extend their sincere condolences to the family of Scott Sechman," its post read. "A talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Scott willingly shared his gift of music with us many times over the years. He played on our courthouse steps, during Frist Fridays, in our virtual Courthouse Sessions in 2020, and in the memorable "All Along The Watchtower" exhibition opening celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan's famous song. Scott was a special part of our music community, and we will miss him."
Sechman Was a Beloved Performer
Donna Gable Hatch also paid tribute to Sechman on social media. The correspondent for Galveston Monthly Magazine wrote about his long battle with cancer.
"Scott's friends know that several years ago he was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer, along with other serious health problems," she wrote. "For the better part of four years, he and his beloved Belinda made more trips than I could begin to count from the Outer Banks to Norfolk for treatments, appointments, tests and consultations. They lived through the peculiar tyranny of serious illness — waiting for results, celebrating good news, absorbing bad news, adjusting to a new reality and then doing it all over again."
She added, "After everything cancer had thrown at him, it wasn't cancer that finally took Scott. In the end, his body could no longer do the most elemental thing we ask of it — breathe. There is something almost unbearably poignant about that to me. A man whose life had been built around breath — breath to sing, breath behind a harmonica, breath carrying words, arguments, laughter and music — finally reached a point where his body simply could not do it anymore."
