(Rock News Desk) X Japan mainman Yoshiki has paid tribute to former bassist Taiji Sawada, who died at the weekend after a suicide attempt following his arrest on a plane.Sawada, 45, was a member of X Japan between 1985 and 1992 and guested with his former colleagues on stage in Japan last year. He was the subject of police action on July 11 after an incident on a flight from Tokyo to Saipan, when it's alleged he disrupted air crew duties and thrown punches and kicks at windows and seats. He was subdued by other passengers and place in restraints until his arrest when the plane landed in Saipan.
While in custody last week he attempted to hang himself using a bed sheet in his cell. He was taken to hospital and placed in intensive care, where doctors discovered he was brain dead. On Sunday his fiancee and mother decided to switch off his life support and he died around noon. Yoshiki has paid tributes to the bassist. He says: "The news of Taiji's death has left me speechless. I don't know how to cope with the loss yet." more from Yoshiki here
