Brit Turner, co-founder of Atlanta's Blackberry Smoke, has died
BERLIN, GERMANY - MARCH 12: Drummer Brit Turner of the band Blackberry Smoke performs live on stage during a concert at Huxleys Neue Welt on March 12, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gina Wetzler/Redferns)
ATLANTA - Brit Turner, one of the founding members of the Atlanta-based country rock band Blackberry Smoke, has died at the age of 57.
His death was announced on social media Sunday night. According to the post, Brit was Blackberry's "True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band."
Turner, who was the band's drummer, reportedly had battled glioblastoma, a cancer of the brain, since his diagnosis in the fall of 2022.
Turner founded the band with singer Charlie Starr, guitarist Paul Jackson, Brandon Still and his brother, Richard Turner, in 2000.
Their most popular songs included 2015's "Holding All The Roses" and 2016's "Like An Arrow."
The band has released a total of 8 studio albums.
Their last album was titled "Be Right Here" and featured the song "Dig A Hole." Other highlights include "Like It Was Yesterday," "Azalea" and a "Little Bit Crazy." Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), Be Right Here was a timely reminder to be present and live authentically.
Turner was born in Michigan, but grew up in Smyrna. He came from a musical family. His father played in a big band, his grandmother played piano and his uncle played the guitar, according to SavingCountryMusic.com.