Brit Turner of the country rock band Blackberry Smoke dies at 57 after brain tumor diagnosis
Brit Turner, a drummer and founding member of the country rock band Blackberry Smoke, has died. He was 57.
Turner was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a cancer of the brain, in the fall of 2022. His band, who announced his death in a Sunday Instagram post, said he "fought every day" following the diagnosis.
"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," the band captioned a graphic featuring a photo of Turner in a blue hat and sunglasses. "Brit was Blackberry Smoke's True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band."
USA TODAY has reached out to Blackberry Smoke and the band's label Rounder Records.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive and fast-growing brain tumor, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The cancer often occurs more in older adults and men.
Turner founded the Atlanta-based country rock band with bandmates Charlie Starr, Paul Jackson, Brandon Still and Turner's brother, Richard Turner, in 2000.
The band has topped Billboard U.S. and U.K. country album charts with 2015's "Holding All The Roses" and 2016's "Like An Arrow" and charted in the top 10 on rock album charts. The band appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "Conan."
Fellow musicians shared their condolences after Brit Turner's death in the comments on Instagram, including rock musician Nick Perri, frontman of The Underground Thieves, who said it was the "saddest news in the world" and said the drummer was "so kind and supportive of me and us."
Former SouthGang guitarist and singer-songwriter Butch Walker called Brit Turner his "longtime brother" and said he had been "crying all night" following his death.
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