Country rock band Blackberry Smoke is mourning one of their 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 left this life,” the Atlanta group announced in a Facebook post on Monday. “If you had the privilege of knowing Brit on any level, you would know that he was the most caring, empathetic, motivated and endearing person anyone could hope to meet.”
A publicist for the group “One Horse Town” confirmed the news of the drummer's death to the Times. Turner was 57 years old.
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 like “Waiting for the Thunder,” “Good One Comin' On” and “Sleeping Dogs.”
He performed alongside lead vocalist Charlie Starr, bassist and brother Richard Turner, guitarist Paul Jackson, and keyboardist Brandon Still. The group released their first album “Bad Luck Ain't No Crime” in 2003 and their second album “Little Piece of Dixie” six years later.
Blackberry Smoke's 2015 release, “Holding All The Roses,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart.
Earlier this year, Blackberry Smoke released their latest album “Be Right Here” and announced tour dates in the United States and Europe. The “Ain't Much Left of Me” band's next stop will be Thursday at the Ogden Theater in Denver. On June 2, the group will take over the Greek Theater in Los Angeles with singer-songwriter Cody Jinks.
Amid the news of Turner's death, it is unclear if the Blackberry Smoke tour will continue as planned.
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 “begins as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord.” Cancer grows rapidly and can affect and destroy healthy tissue.
“[Turner] “I fought every day,” the band said.
Blackberry Smoke and Turner shared their diagnosis with fans in a statement shared on Facebook in November 2022. The message informed fans that the drummer's “aggressive treatment” would prevent him from traveling and performing live.
“Make no mistake, this will be a difficult road, but we choose to do it the same way we do everything else,” the statement said. “We choose to be positive, we choose to work hard, we choose to fight this every step of the way with our brother Bit and we choose to do it together #YouGotThisBrit.”
Turner also kept her social media followers updated on her health, writing in May 2023, “things are going in the right direction.”
“Brit was Blackberry Smoke's true north, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band,” Blackberry Smoke said.
In addition to his brother, Turner is survived by his wife of 20 years, Shannon Sorrells Turner, and his daughter, “Stranger Things” and “Sweet Magnolias” actress Lana Jean Turner.
“I will love you forever, dad,” Lana Jean wrote in an Instagram Story shared on Sunday.
