WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — Aaron Spears, a Grammy-nominated drummer who performed with artists such as Usher, Stewart Copeland, and Ariana Grande, has died. He was 47.
His death was announced on his official social media by his wife Jessica.
“It is with a heavy heart and overwhelming sadness that I share the news of the passing of my beloved husband Aaron Swears. Aaron was not only an incredibly accomplished drummer, admired by many for his uparalleled talent and passion for music, but he was also a devoted father to our precious son, August.”
The statement did not provide any additional details about a time, place, or cause of death, or any of his other survivors.
Spears, who hailed from a musical family, first began playing the drums in his high school band, inspired by musicians such as his father, who was also a percussionist, and artists such as Vinnie Collaiuta.
In his early 20s, he became the drummer for a Christian band but soon moved to secular music, landing a role in Usher’s Funk Rock Orchestra, earning a Grammy nomination in 2004 for “Confessions.”
His tenure with Usher also saw Spears perform during both Usher and James Brown’s appearance at the 2005 Grammy Awards.
He also performed with artists such as Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Carrie Underwood, and Britney Spears, among others.
More recently, Spears served as the house drummer on the pilot episode of NBC’s Songland (2019) and the music coordinator and drummer for season 3 of Fox’s hit TV show, The Masked Singer.
