John Berry, an original member of hip-hop icons Beastie Boys, passed away early yesterday morning, his father confirmed to Rolling Stone. Berry had been suffering from frontal lobe dementia. He was 52.
Berry founded the Beastie Boys with fellow attendee of New York’s Walden School Mike “Mike D” Diamond, along with Adam Yauch and Kate Schellenbach. Berry was a part of the group’s first EP Pollly Wog Stew, then parted ways with them and went on to play with several more groups. Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz joined the band after the departure of Schellenbach to form the most well-known trio formation of the Beastie Boys.
Berry is credited with coming up with the name for the Beastie Boys, and during the groups 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Horovitz read a note from Yauch, who died later the same year, which contained some words about Berry’s role in the early years. Watch their speech below.
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