Photo Credit: Dean Budnick

Brit Turner, drummer and founding member of Southern rock outfit Blackberry Smoke, died on Sunday, March 3. He was 57. The band confirmed Turner’s passing via social media with a heartfelt remembrance:

“It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform everyone that our brother Brit Turner has moved on from this life. 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.”

This news follows two years after Turner’s diagnosis with an aggressive case of glioblastoma, a cancer of the brain for which the artist underwent surgery in November 2022. Since then, Turner has continued to tour with the band, remaining on the road through its December 2023 dates. Born in Mt. Clemons, Mich., but raised in Smyrna, Ga., the artist brought a driving sincerity to the band’s revivalist Southern rock sound.

Blackberry Smoke was formed in 2000 when Turner and his brother, bassist Richard Turner, joined forces with guitarist and singer Charlie Star, keyboardist Peter Still and guitarist Paul Jackson. In more than two decades of performance, the band has released nine studio albums and risen to become one of the essential country-rock combinations of this century. Bearing the distinct honor of being the only independently released artist to top the Billboard Country Albums chart with 2015’s Holding All the Roses, the group’s success has continued with further placements and popularity since, including widespread acclaim for the band’s 2024 release Be Right There.

Offstage, Turner was celebrated for founding the Lana Turner Foundation. Alongside his band, Turner mobilized his platform for good through this fund, helping to raise over $1,000,000 to fight childhood cancers since 2011.

“We ask for prayers for his family and band brothers,” Blackberry Smoke’s post continues. “More information on arrangements will be forthcoming. Thank you to everyone who has supported and been there for Brit and his family through this fight.”  Turner is survived by his wife, Shannon, his brother, his band and his legacy.