Original Beastie Boys member dies in a hospice aged just 52 after suffering from dementia for years
His father said that Berry had been suffering from frontal lobe dementia and his condition had worsened in recent months
JOHN BERRY, an original member of rock band Beastie Boys, has died at the age of 52.
His father, John Berry III, broke the news to Rolling Stone magazine.
Berry had been suffering from frontal lobe dementia and died in a hospice in Danvers, Massachusetts.
His condition, which causes the brain to shrink, had been getting worse over recent months, according to reports.
Tributes have been pouring in from heartbroken fans across the world.
One wrote on Twitter: "RIP to John Berry of the Beastie Boys. Those dudes started something bigger than music. Rap, rock and musicianship all in one. A new genre."
Band Luscious Jackson, whose drummer is a former Beastie Boys member, released a tribute on their Facebook page.
They said that the band were “heartbroken” to hear of his passing.
They said: "He was a good friend and rabble rouser and if it wasn't for him, there'd be no Beasties, no Luscious Jackson, no Grand Royal and god knows what else. John brought us all together in his crazy wooden house on the UWS ... Rest In Piece friend ..."
Berry was one of the founding members of the famous rock rap band.
He has even been credited with coming up with the name of the band.
The group, which was founded in 1978, was originally called The Young Aborigines, but Berry persuaded the band to change the name two years later.
He had known the band’s vocalist Michael Diamond since school.
The group formed in New York, where Diamond and Berry were joined by Adam Yauch and Kate Schellenbach.
But soon after the Beastie Boys brought out their first EP, Polly Wog Stew, in 1982, Berry left the band.
In 1983, Schellenbach also left the group, moving on to Luscious Jackson.
The new band was the trio of Yach, Diamond and Adam Horovitz.
Tragedy struck the group just four years ago, when Yach died of cancer aged 47.
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