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Artist News Top Stories
Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 14 August 2013
Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes died yesterday morning, the band announced via their website. He was 44.
As previously reported, Brookes suffered a seizure on stage during a US tour in 2010, and was later diagnosed with a brain tumour. He made his live return at the final date of the band’s UK tour the following month, but had been receiving ongoing treatment, including several surgeries, in the years since.
He had been working with the band on new material over the summer, but went into hospital for further surgery last month. The band told fans at the time that he seemed to be recovering well from the surgery, but was being kept in hospital for additional treatment.
In a statement following Brookes’ death in hospital yesterday, the band said: “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 [his wife] Debbie and all of Jon’s family”.
Brookes is the second of the band’s founder members to die, keyboard player Rob Collins was killed in a car crash in 1996 during the recording of the band’s fifth album, ‘Tellin Stories’.
