Kevin Ransom, a well-known freelance journalist from Dearborn known for his fascinating and unforgettable music coverage, has died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Wayne County officials told Metro Times on Thursday.
Ransom was 69 when police found him dead in his home on June 1.
The Wayne County Coroner's Office said he died of natural causes.
Ransom was forced into retirement about 10 years ago when he began suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and severe sleep apnea. In 2015, a number of bands came together to hold a benefit concert for Ransom at the Ark in Ann Arbor. That same year, Ransom also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his most basic living expenses.
Health problems had caused Ransom to gain a lot of weight, but he recently lost about 30 pounds by adopting a new diet and cutting out alcohol, said Matt Rausch, a friend and longtime technology journalist who now works for Yellow Flag Productions as editor-in-chief of media services at Lawrence Technological University.
Ransom lost contact with family and many friends in his later years and no funeral was held.
Ransom was a prolific writer on many subjects, but he was best known for his compelling and profound writings on music. He celebrated local music and helped highlight bands not yet nationally known. He was particularly fond of folk, roots, blues, alternative and 1960s rock.
Ransom has also written auto industry, entertainment, business, environmental and general feature articles. His work has appeared in more than 20 publications, including Rolling Stone, The Detroit News, Ann Arbor News, Guitar Player, Automotive News, Heritage Newspapers and Ford World.
He has been a freelance journalist for decades.
Despite his popularity among music fans, Ransom struggled financially: He lived in a modest one-story house in Dearborn that was originally built by his grandparents in 1949. He purchased the house in 2002 after his grandmother's death.
Ransom had a long, white beard for several years before his death.