Original Beastie Boys Member Dies

Original member of iconic outfit Beastie Boys, John Berry, has died at the age of 52. 

Berry's father confirmed to Rolling Stone that the guitarist suffered from "frontal lobe dementia, which had worsened in recent months" and passed away in a hospice in Massachusetts on Thursday.

Berry is believed to have come up with the Beastie Boys tag when the group formed in 1981 with Mike Diamond, Adam Yauch and Kate Schellenbach.

Schellenbach has since paid tribute to Berry on her band's Facebook page. 

"We are heartbroken hearing the news of the passing of John Berry, the original guitarist and founder of the Beastie Boys," the statement posted to the Luscious Jackson page reads.

"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."

He left the group the following year and went on to feature in a number of other bands including Even Worse, Bourbon Deluxe and Highway Stars.

Berry was also referenced in a speech written by Yauch when the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock'N'Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012.

Check out the speech below.