Brit Turner was the drummer for the country rock band Blackberry Smoke.
- Died: March 3, 2024 (Who else died on March 3?)
- Details of death: Died after fighting glioblastoma at the age of 57.
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Brit Turner’s legacy
Turner co-founded Blackberry Smoke in 2000 in Atlanta, and they released their debut album in 2003. Influenced by such bands as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, and Little Feat, Blackberry Smoke continued to gain a following until their 2015 album “Holding All the Roses” became the first independently released album to go to No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. The band repeated that feat with their next album, 2016’s “Like an Arrow.” Their popular songs included “One Horse Town,” “Waiting for the Thunder,” “Free on the Wing,” and “Flesh and Bone.” They recorded with such country and rock legends as George Jones (1931–2013) and Gregg Allman (1947–2017).
Turner said his own influences as a drummer tended more toward hard rock and metal acts like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Sepultura. This was reflected in Blackberry Smoke’s heavy sound. He remained with the band throughout his life, most recently releasing the album “Be Right Here” in February 2024.
When Turner’s young daughter was diagnosed with cancer early in the band’s career, they worked to raise money for childhood cancer charities. Fundraising via meet and greets, motorcycle rides, and other avenues, they raised more than half a million dollars for their cause. They continued their fundraising efforts later, including after Turner’s 2022 glioblastoma diagnosis.
Turner on the band’s long road to fame:
“It’s just a matter of sticking to it. People say, a lot of times, ‘Hey, I really love it that you guys did it your way!’ I said, ‘Well, we had no other choice, there were no other options!’ I mean no one was pulling up to our house in a limousine full of money and offering it to us, but we knew that we enjoyed what we did, when we play. That’s the way it is. You’ve got to enjoy it too, Man.” —from a 2017 interview for Echoes and Dust
Tributes to Brit Turner
Full obituary: The Los Angeles Times
