Original Beastie Boys member, John Berry, passed away on Thursday at the age of 52.
Rolling Stone reported that the founding group member died at approximately 7:30 a.m. at a hospice located in Danvers, Massachusetts. His death was confirmed by his father, John Berry II, who stated that it was caused by frontal lobe dementia.
Berry started with The Beastie Boys as a guitarist in 1981 along with Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch, and Kate Schellenbach in New York. He is credited for the group’s name and for the first successful performances in front of an audience.
Adam Yauch wrote a speech about Berry, which was subsequently read by Adam Horowitz during the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2012. Yauch thanked the late musician and acknowledged his loft on 100th Street and Broadway, saying, “Where John’s dad would come busting in during our first performances screaming, ‘Will you turn that [expletive] off already?!’”
The diseased left the band in 1982, followed by fellow member Kate Schellenbach. This led Horowitz to step in and replace both members, forming the unbreakable lineup known throughout the years.
Berry eventually became a member of various other bands including Even Worse, Highway Stars and Big Fat Love.
The Beastie Boys disbanded in 2012 following the death of Adam Yauch (MCA) who had died of cancer shortly after their hall of fame induction. As of 2015, the group had signed a deal to release an autobiography, but the project has been delayed indefinitely.