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Founding Member Of The Beastie Boys John Berry Dies


DANVERS, Mass. (CelebrityAccess) — John Berry IV, a founding member of The Beastie Boys who left the group before the gained national recognition, died on Thursday. he was 52.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Berry died in hospice at Danvers, Mass., after a long battle with frontotemporal dementia, a progressive disease that has no cure.

Berry founded the Beastie Boys in 1981 with Michael Diamond, forming the group as a punk band with Adam Yauch and Kate Schellenbach.

The group often practiced in Berry's father's Manhattan loft and Berry played guitar on the group's debut EP "Pollywog Stew," but left the band shortly after as the group geared up to become more professional.

Berry “wasn't up for that rigor,” Berry's father, John Berry III told the Associated Press. “He was not amenable to authority,” he added.

After exiting the group, Berry remained friendly with his former bandmates, and continued to pursue his interests in music and other forms of art.

Berry is survived by an adult son, the Los Angeles Times said. – Staff Writers