The Charlatans’ Jon Brookes Dead At 44

August 13th, 2013

Kendra Beltran

The UK alt-rocker passed away this morning at a hospital in England after battling a brain cancer for three years.

As one of the founding members of The Charlatans, Brookes was a dedicated drummer for over two decades after forming in 1989. The band went on to release 11 studio albums, the last being 2010’s Who We Touch. That same year Brookes suffered a seizure onstage and they postponed the rest of their tour. He was later diagnosed with brain cancer after they found a tumor. Forever a trooper, Brookes returned later that year for The Charlatans’ holiday shows on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Since then Brookes continued to play with the band and underwent numerous surgeries, the last being in July. The band released a statement this morning, “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.”

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.