Jon
Brookes, the drummer with indie band The Charlatans has died aged 44.
He had
suffered a seizure on tour with the band in 2010 and had been receiving
treatment for a brain tumour.
Brookes
had undergone several operations, but had still been working on new material
with the band over the summer. He died in hospital on Tuesday morning with his
family at his bedside.
Charlatans
frontman Tim Burgess tweeted that the band was "torn apart" at the
news and sent love to Brookes's family.
"Jon
Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this
morning. We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family," he said.
He also
thanked "everyone for their messages and memories of Jon. So much love on
such a sad day".
A further
statement from the ban read: "Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration,
a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to
everyone in and around the band.
"Losing
someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so
many. Our thoughts are with Debbie and all of Jon's family."
Collapsed
on stage
Brookes
was diagnosed with a brain tumour after collapsing during a Charlatans gig in
Philadelphia, in the United States in 2010.
One of
the band's best known songs, The Only One I Know, reached number nine in the UK
singles chart in 1990
He
briefly stopped breathing and was helped by a doctor attending the show, before
being taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
The rest
of their US tour was cancelled as Brookes was flown to the UK for treatment.
Speaking
afterwards he described how he "saw lights" in the corner of his eyes
before collapsing at the concert and said he was at the "start of the long
road of treatment for cancer" but was "feeling fit and
positive".
In July
this year the band revealed that he had undergone further surgery for the brain
tumour.
They said
he had recovered well from the operation but would remain in hospital for
additional treatment.
Brookes,
of Burntwood, Staffordshire, was a founding member of the band that formed in
the West Midlands in 1989.
Another
original band member, keyboardist Rob Collins, died in a car accident in 1996.
The
Charlatans have had 22 UK top 40 hits, including The Only One I Know, Can't Get
Out Of Bed and One To Another.
Courtesy: BBC news UK
No comments:
Post a Comment