Former SANCTUARY guitarist Sean Blosl has died at the age of 58. Sean Blosl passed away following a vehicle-related accident in August 2024. However, the sad news became known on January 1, 2025, through a post by Lenny Rutledge and SANCTUARY.
Lenny Rutledge’s post on the band’s official social media page bids farewell to Sean Blosl as follows:
“It is with a very heavy heart that I have to announce that Sean Blosl passed away earlier this year. He was involved in a vehicle related accident in Seattle. I have struggled with posting about this news. I am not a fan of the social media death announcements, but I realize that even though I think this is a private family matter, Sean was also a very important part of the Seattle music scene.
Sean was my cousin, but to us we were much more like my brothers. We had a musical dream when we were kids that became a reality. Without Sean by my side I don’t know if I would have had the opportunity to make this musical journey. It is very difficult to sum up a lifetime of love, memories and experiences but I will always remember Sean as an inspiration and a teacher.
RIP Brother. I will see you on the other side.”
Sean Blosl founded SANCTUARY in 1985 along with his cousin and fellow guitarist Lenny Rutledge. He played on the band’s first two albums, 1988’s Refuge Denied, produced by Dave Mustaine, and 1990’s Into The Mirror Black. During the tour supporting Into The Mirror Black, Blosl left SANCTUARY and was replaced by Jeff Loomis.
Shortly afterward, pressure from Epic Records to adapt to the emerging Seattle grunge scene led to disagreements among the band members regarding their musical direction. In 1992, SANCTUARY officially disbanded.
After SANCTUARY’s breakup, vocalist Warrel Dane, bassist Jim Sheppard, and Loomis formed NEVERMORE in 1992. NEVERMORE recorded seven studio albums before going on hiatus in April 2011.
In 2010, four of SANCTUARY’s founding members — Dane, Sheppard, Rutledge, and drummer Dave Budbill — reunited for a few select performances. Initially, it was meant to be just a handful of shows, but the overwhelming response and onstage chemistry led them to reunite permanently.
