THE STRANGLERS' founding drummer Jet Black dead at 84

09 December 2022

THE STRANGLERS' founding drummer Jet Black has died at the age of 84. The news was announced in a post on the band's website.

"Jet Black, born Brian John Duffy, passed away peacefully at home on Tue 6th Dec," read the statement. "A founding member of iconic British new-wave rock band The Stranglers, Jet helped the band achieve a prolific 23 top 40 singles and 19 top 40 albums in the official UK charts."

The statement went on to detail Black's long history, from his time in jazz bands in the 1960s to his success as a businessman in Guildford prior to joining THE STRANGLERS in 1974, where he owned a fleet of ice cream vans and an off-licence. He would go on to play on every STRANGLERS album from 1977's Rattus Norvegicus to 2016's Giant.

Black had suffered from respiratory issues since childhood, and first took leave of absence from the band in 2007, taking 18 months away from the road after an abnormal heart rhythm was detected. In 2012 he abandoned the band's UK tour after suffering a chest infection, and appearances in the following years were sporadic.

He finally announced his retirement from live performance in 2015, although he travelled with the band in 2016 when they celebrated the 40th anniversary of their classic Black And White album, spending time with fans and signing copies of the record.

No cause of death has been announced.