Brit Turner, a founding member and the drummer for the rock band Blackberry Smoke, passed away on Sunday (March 3) at the age of 57. Turner had been battling glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, and underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in November 2022.
The band confirmed Turner’s passing through a statement on social media. “It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform everyone that our brother @britturner13 has moved on from this life,” the group wrote alongside a photo of Turner. “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. Brit was Blackberry Smoke’s True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band.”
Who Are Brit Turner Parents and Siblings?
Brit Turner was born to his parents in Michigan and grew up in Georgia. In 2000, he and his brother, Richard Turner, along with singer-guitarist Charlie Starr and guitarist Paul Jackson, founded Blackberry Smoke. The band’s debut album, “The Whippoorwill,” was released in 2012 under country star Zac Brown’s Southern Ground label.
Following albums were released through Rounder and Thirty Tigers. Their music frequently appeared on various genre charts, notably reaching the top spot on the country albums chart with their 2015 release, “Holding All the Roses,” marking the first independent album to achieve this feat.