Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass announced that his mother, Carol June Gass, passed away on August 26th. Gass shared the news on Instagram, writing: “Carol June Gass May 4th, 1930 – Aug 26, 2026. Lost my dear mom today. She was funny, fiercely independent and feisty till the end.”
He continued: “I feel lucky to have had her for so long. She is survived by my two older brothers but she outlived about everybody else. She loved her boys and we loved her. She was always our champion and always always there for us. Thanx mom, will always remember you with fondness and love.”
Gass’s Tenacious D bandmate Jack Black shared his condolences on social media, commenting: “Heartbreaking. Love you Kage. Love to the whole family. Star mom is with the stars now.”
The gesture comes after a rough patch between the two, after Gass made a controversial statement on a live show which led them to cancel following shows and put the band on hiatus.
The supportive message from Black highlights a moment of reconnection amid personal loss, following a period of tension that had put their long-running musical partnership on hold.
The controversial remark came on July 14, 2024, during a show in Sydney, Australia, when Gass was asked to make a birthday wish and replied, “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
The comment prompted the cancellation of the rest of the duo’s world tour. Black and Gass formed the band in Los Angeles in 1994, building a long-running comic rock partnership that became one of Black’s signature projects.
The pair had already been collaborating by 1992 and developed the act through early club performances before turning it into Tenacious D.
Gass later called the joke “highly inappropriate” and “dangerous,” while Black said he was “blindsided” by the remark and that the band’s future creative plans were on hold.
Black said in 2026 that he and Gass had “no plans” to tour or make new music anytime soon, suggesting the hiatus remained in place.
