Blackberry Smoke drummer Brit Turner dies at age 57

Brit Turner, the drummer for Atlanta-based Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke, has died, his bandmates confirmed on social media. He was 57 years old.

Turner was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in the fall of 2022.

His bandmates expressed their admiration for Turner across social media.

“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,” they wrote. “Brit was Blackberry Smoke’s True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band.”

Blackberry Smoke was founded in 2000 in Atlanta by Turner, his older brother and bass guitarist Richard Turner, Brandon Still on keyboards, and Paul Jackson and Charlie Starr on guitars and vocals. The band added Benji Shanks and Preston Holcomb to the touring ensemble.

Last month Blackberry Smoke’s newest album “Be Right Here” appeared in both country, rock and Americana charts. The band’s tour to support the album begins this month.

Butch Walker of The Marvelous 3 was among the many musicians saluting Turner. “I don’t think the world will be the same or enjoy the same light and love without you,” he wrote online.

Duane Betts, co-founder of The Allman Betts Band, wrote “Brit was an amazing human being and I feel so privileged I was able to get know him as well as I did.”