The music world is sending love to Ben Kweller after a family tragedy.
On Feb. 28, Ben shared that his son Dorian Zev Kweller died at the age of 16.
“Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all,” he captioned a photo on Instagram of Dorian, an aspiring artist. “If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth.” (According to Variety, Ben’s wife Liz Smith Kweller shared on her private Instagram account that Dorian passed away in a car accident on Feb. 27.)
“Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev,” the 41-year-old, who also shares 12-year-old Judah with his wife, continued. “Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day. A true poet from the day he started speaking. Only a few of his recordings were released but he was on a path and excited about his journey.”
Ben, a songwriter who has previously collaborated with Ed Sheeran, added that Dorian was already planning for his own music career. “His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW,” he wrote. “My last text with him was about the merch he wanted to make. My baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him… I have no idea why things like this happen.”