Many people closely tied to Columbus’ local music scene left town this weekend to pay last respects to a lost friend and fellow musician.Jerry Wick, 33, guitarist and lead singer for the Columbus rock band Gaunt, was killed early Wednesday morning when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle home. Visiting hours were held Sunday at Golubski Funeral Home in Parma, Ohio and the funeral was held at 10 a.m. Monday at Freewill Baptist Church in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.In the 90s, Gaunt was busy writing music, practicing, recording and playing all over Columbus, the United States and even Europe. After a few independently released seven-inch singles and a variety of compilation appearances, Thrill Jockey Records, in Chicago became the home of Wick and his bandmates. As the label’s first signing, Gaunt released; two EP’s, two full-length albums, a 10 inch single and penned some of their fan’s favorite tunes. Amidst their busy rockstar schedules, Gaunt managed to also land a spot in television heaven, writing the theme song to MTV’s “Buzzkill.” The short-lived show was similar to the candid camera shows of the 80s, basing most of the plots on the humiliation of unsuspecting victims.After touring the United States and Europe, Gaunt was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1997 after WB representative, Bruce McGuire, caught a Gaunt/New Bomb Turks show in Minneapolis, Minn. They released “Bricks and Blackouts” on the WB label with; Wick and Jovan Karcic both on guitar, Sam Brown on drums and Brett Falcon making his debut appearance as Gaunt’s new bass player.According to Bela Koe-Krompecher, close friend and co-worker at Used Kids Records, Wick never seemed completely satisfied with “Bricks and Blackouts.””Warner Bros. was really rushing the band to get their first album with the label completed,” Koe-Krompecher said. “At the time, almost everyone at WB that Gaunt had worked with or been associated with had been let go, including Bruce McGuire.”Soon after, Gaunt was dropped from the WB label, but Wick’s influence on the local community as a musician was overwhelming. Koe-Krompecher said that Wick was the ‘leader of the pack’ during the time period that Gaunt was big and flourishing in the developing Columbus music scene. “Jerry was very ambitious, hard-working and very dedicated to making his music and he earned every ounce of success and acclaim that he obtained,” Koe-Krompecher said. Eric Davidson, who is a former roommate of Wick’s and lead singer of New Bomb Turks said that he had a great life and many friends. He said that Wick was a really funny guy, always cracking jokes and still very focused on one thing, his music.”Jerry was all about the music and would talk about music with anyone for hours,” Davidson said. “I remember this one time I was listening to Gene Vincent and Jerry came in and asked me why I was listening to a white guy doing black music,” he said. “I responded by saying to him that I’d have to get rid of half of my music collection if that was the case and Jerry just laughed and said, ‘I’m just messing with you man.’ So, he always knew what music was all about, where it was coming from, he was just so into it,” Davidson said.He said Wick was an important man in the local music scene, often bringing in other local bands to play with them at shows. “He understood what it meant to make fun music and he believed that what was coming out of the punk-rock scene in the early 90s wasn’t all that great,” Davidson said. “He took it back to the roots of punk rock and made the music seem fresh and alive again.”Jim Weber, guitarist for the New Bomb Turks and an old friend and bandmate of Wick’s agreed with Davidson saying that he totally knew where music was headed and often got there a step before everyone else. “Jerry called all the shots while we played together but he showed me so much,” Weber said. He recalled a trip to New York City in 1993 which was the band’s first trip to the “Big Apple” and an amazing experience. “I remember after playing at CBGB’s, Jerry and I were up late in the hotel room watching bad television when the girl doing merchandise for us, who was sleeping on the floor, began to snore really loudly,” Weber said. “Jerry and I just looked at each other and bust up laughing.” Wick has undoubtedly left his mark in the hearts and vinyl collections of the Columbus music scene and with Gaunt fans everywhere. Friend and fellow musician with the Bassholes, Lamont “Bim” Thomas said that Wick was a special guy, often misunderstood and completely dedicated to his music. “Jerry had a love for others and it came out repeatedly in his music and his friendships with other musicians,” Thomas said. Wick and Thomas became friends soon after Gaunt returned from touring Europe. “I got hired at Used Kids because Jerry was over in Europe and they needed someone to replace him until he got back,” Thomas said. “When he got back to town, I was worried I’d lose my job because they wouldn’t need me anymore, but thankfully I got to keep working there and Jerry and I became good friends,” he said.”I’m really going to miss him,” Thomas said.