Blackberry Smoke drummer dies after brain cancer battle
Country rock band Blackberry Smoke is mourning one of its own: drummer Brit Turner, who died after a battle with brain cancer.
“It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform everyone that our brother Brit Turner has moved on from this life,” the Atlanta group announced in a Monday Facebook post. “If you had the privilege of knowing Brit on any level, you know he was the most caring, empathetic, driven and endearing person one could ever hope to meet.”
A publicist for the “One Horse Town” group confirmed news of the drummer’s death. Turner was 57.
Turner was a founding member of Blackberry Smoke, which formed in 2000 in Atlanta. For more than 20 years, Turner brought his drumming talents to songs including “Waiting for the Thunder,” “Good One Comin’ On” and “Sleeping Dogs.”
He performed alongside lead vocalist Charlie Starr, bass player and brother Richard Turner, guitarist Paul Jackson and keyboardist Brandon Still. The group released its first album “Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime” in 2003, and its second album “Little Piece of Dixie” six years later.
Blackberry Smoke’s 2015 release “Holding All The Roses” debuted at the top spot on Billboard’s Country Albums chart.
Earlier this year, Blackberry Smoke dropped its latest album “Be Right Here” and announced United States and Europe tour dates. The “Ain’t Much Left of Me” band’s next stop is in Denver’s on Thursday.
It’s unclear whether the Blackberry Smoke tour will proceed.
Turner, who used his Blackberry Smoke fame to benefit cancer charities, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in the fall of 2022, according to the band’s Facebook post. The Mayo Clinic defines glioblastoma as a type of cancer that “starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord.” The cancer grows quickly and can impact and destroy healthy tissue.