BLACKBERRY Smoke drummer Brit Turner has died at the age of 57 after a courageous battle with brain cancer, the Atlanta southern rock band has announced.

He had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer, in late 2022 but had remained deeply involved in the release of the band’s new album, and had hoped to return to playing live with the band he helped found.

Drummer Brit had initially been making what appeared to be a good recovery, and was still very much a part of the band’s plans. He had played on the album, masterminded the artwork, and had hoped to be back behind the drums on tour.

Tragically, it was not to be. Fellow bandmates posted on Instagram: “It is with the deepest sorrow that we inform everyone that our brother @britturner13 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. 

“Brit has battled glioblastoma since his diagnosis in the fall of 2022 and fought every day. We ask for prayers for his family and band brothers. 

“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.”

It is the latest, and most devastating, blow for Blackberry Smoke, and comes after a series of setbacks that would have led a lesser band of brothers to despairingly abandon their plans.

They saw the release of their last album – the chart-topping You Hear Georgia – delayed by a year because of the pandemic.

And their new album, Be Right Here – just released a few weeks ago – was recorded back in late 2022 as drummer Brit began his recovery from surgery to remove the brain tumour.

Turner’s bombshell brain cancer diagnosis followed the heart attack he had suffered earlier in 2022, for which he also underwent major surgery, and the 2009 cancer that struck his daughter, Lana.

But Blackberry Smoke are made of sterner stuff than most and it says much for their grit and determination that they’re on their way back to Birmingham for a gig at the 02 Academy this summer.

Lana Jean Turner

Lana has gone on to become a successful actress, famously playing Seven in the fourth season of smash hit Stranger Things.

The health scares had, said frontman Charlie Starr, made them all appreciate every day they enjoy together with bandmates, family and friends. Since 2011, the band has also donated more than £800,000 – a million dollars – to childhood cancer research.

“It gave the recording process, and then everything after, a sense of urgency,” said Starr of Be Right Here. “But we didn’t feel a whole lot of pressure to go in and make this one quickly.

Charlie Starr

“It didn’t hurry us but rather made all that time really precious. Everybody took a long hard look at it and counted our blessings – we get to make music and make records and work together.

“And it just made it all seem so special.”

The eighth studio album began picking up plaudits early thanks to the now commonplace streaming of initial tracks to build anticipation of the full set’s release.

The consensus is that, almost a quarter century since they first got together, the band may well have come up with their best yet, a blend of country, rock and Americana recorded mostly live.

Lead track Dig A Hole sums up the album’s evolution in adversity.“In life, we all are faced with choices,” Starr said. “Are we going to do good, or are we going to do bad?

“Are we going to love, or are we going to hate? We have a finite amount of time, each of us on this Earth. So we probably want to make the best out of it instead of wasting time.”

Elsewhere, both Azalea and Other Side Of The Light have acoustic hints of Midland supergroup Led Zeppelin, of whom Starr has always been a fan, occasionally dropping Zeppelin covers in the live setlist.

The band played a sold-out Academy gig last year, and wanted to return such has been the long-time support of fans on this side of the Atlantic, particularly in Birmingham, the home of heavy metal.

Support comes from Nashville country rockers The Steel Woods, friends of the band and themselves a big attraction back in the States.

Blackberry Smoke, 02 Academy Birmingham, September 13. The other UK dates are: 02 Academy, Glasgow (Sep 9); 02 Academy, Edinburgh (Sep 10), 02 Apollo, Manchester (Sep 12) and Eventim Apollo, London (Sep 14).

NOTE: This is an updated version of the post previously published here a month ago.