‘A REBEL WITH MANY CAUSES’

The Stranglers’ Drummer Jet Black Dies at 84

Black was a founding member of the new-wave punk rock band, last performing in 2015 due to respiratory health issues.

Jet Black, drummer for new-wave punk rock band The Stranglers, has died at 84 after years of health issues. He’d been living near friends and family in North Wales when he passed away “peacefully” Dec. 6 , according to a representative. The artist, born Brian John Duffy, last performed with the band in 2015 after health complications kept him from several gigs, having suffered from “respiratory health issues since childhood,” according to the band’s statement. “He was a force of nature. An inspiration. The Stranglers would not have been if it wasn’t for him. The most erudite of men. A rebel with many causes,” said bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel in light of Black’s death. “The Stranglers success was founded on his determination and drive. His timing was faultless. All power to him and his legacy,” wrote Hugh Cornwell, a founding member of the band, on his website. Black is survived by his wife Ava and his two children, Charlotte and Anthony.