Prince’s Drummer John Blackwell Jr. Dead At 43

Photo by Chelsea Lauren/WireImage

John Blackwell Jr., Prince‘s long-time drummer, died this week at the age of 43.

TMZ reports that the cause of death is unknown but the drummer likely died of a brain tumor, which he’d been suffering from since 2016. John’s wife Yaritza setup a GoFundMe page last July and to help cover the medical expenses. So far the page has raised $78,000. Yaritza shared the news of her husband’s passing on his social media pages.

Justin Timberlake also shared his thoughts on Twitter. Blackwell toured with the singer on his FutureSex/LoveSounds album.

Take a look at John in action on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 2002.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

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