Rock Guitarist Michael Mann Dies

Michael Mann, the new lead guitarist for the Blasters rock band who was known to fans as Hollywood Fats, died Monday of an apparent heart attack.

Mann, 32, was rushed to Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center in full cardiac arrest, said Ted Braun, assistant hospital director.

The guitarist came by his nickname because of his weight, estimated at more than 250 pounds.

“He worried about his weight,” drummer Bill Bateman said. “It was his genes. He was a chubby kid.”

The precise cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, said a coroner’s supervisor.

Mann joined the Blasters earlier this year to replace David Alvin, who along with his brother, Phil, founded the band in 1979. At the time of Mann’s death, the group was preparing for a tour of Houston, Dallas and New Orleans, Bateman said.