Blackberry Smoke’s drummer, Brit Turner, has passed away at the age of 57 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor, in the fall of 2022. He underwent brain surgery before returning to touring with the band in 2023. Unfortunately, he announced in late 2023 that he would have to sit out the band’s 2024 concert dates. Kent Aberle was introduced as his replacement at the time.
The band shared a statement to their official social media accounts, notifying fans of Turner’s passing and describing the loss as “with the deepest sorrow.” They went on to praise Turner as the “most caring, empathetic, driven and endearing” person and said, “Brit was Blackberry Smoke’s True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band.”
Turner was born in Michigan and raised in Georgia. In collaboration with his brother, he founded the country rock band Blackberry Smoke in 2000, alongside Charlie Sar and Paul Jackson, with whom they released their debut album, The Whippoorwhill, in 2012 via Zac Brown’s Southern Ground label. Their final album with Turner as a member, Be Right Here, was released in February.
Following the news of Turner’s passing, a number of bands and musicians expressed their condolences. Black Stone Cherry, with whom Blackberry Smoke has a long-standing relationship, stated that the news had caused them to leave their most recent show. Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist, Slash, also shared a post online, along with Luke Combs, who shared an emotional message in the comments section of Blackberry Smoke’s post, saying that Turner had been “awesome” to him when he “didn’t have to be
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