RIP John Berry, founding member of Beastie Boys

[Pingo]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/20/john-berry-dead-founding-beastie-boys-member

 

Although the Beastie Boys rose to fame as a hip-hop three-piece, they originated as a hardcore punk band called the Young Aborigines in 1978, featuring Berry, Michael “Mike D†Diamond, Adam “MCA†Yauch and Kate Schellenbach. Berry, the band’s guitarist, left shortly after the release of their first EP, Polly Wog Stew, and was replaced by Adam “Ad-Rock†Horovitz.

 

Berry’s tenure in the group lasted for less than a year but he was an instrumental part of their formation: Yauch, Diamond, and Horovitz have credited Berry with coming up with the group’s name, while his apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side served as the venue for the first Beastie Boys shows.

 

Berry went on to perform with a number of other bands including Bourbon Deluxe, Highway Stars, Big Fat Love, and Even Worse.

[Loim]

This year just keeps getting worse: David Bowie, Prince, Merle Haggard, Guy Clark, and now this.