Jill Janus, the frontwoman of metal band Huntress, has died aged 43. Her bandmates confirmed that the musician took her own life on 14 August after a long-time battle with mental illness. The heartbreaking news was confirmed on Huntress’s official Facebook page. The band wrote: ‘It is with crushed hearts that we announce that Jill Janus—frontwoman for the California heavy metal band Huntress—passed away on Tuesday, August 14. A long-time sufferer of mental illness, she took her own life outside of Portland, Oregon.
Janus spoke publicly about these challenges in hopes of guiding others to address and overcome their mental illness. ‘Janus was a truly special creative involved with numerous musical projects including her role as vocalist for female metal/hard rock cover bands TheStarbreakers and Chelsea Girls.