The Specials drummer John Bradbury dies

The Specials drummer John Bradbury has died at the age of 62.

Bradbury joined The Special AKA following the split of the original Specials in 1981 with three members becoming Fun Boy Three. John (JB) was the band's drummer for the hit 'Nelson Mandela'.



As a songwriter John wrote 'The Selecter', the double A side of 'Gangsters' for The Specials.

Bradbury was also the drummer for the reunited Specials in 2009 after getting together for an appearance on 'Later…With Jools Holland'. That lead to a full-blown reunion and a tour of Australia and Japan.

The latter day Specials recorded the live album 'More … Or Less … The Specials Live' from their European tour of 2011.

The Specials announced the death of John Bradbury in a tweet:

It is with deep regret that we say goodbye to our great friend, the world's greatest drummer, our beloved Brad. RIP pic.twitter.com/yYBFyQmuLy

— thespecials (@thespecials) December 29, 2015


Statement from The Specials

It is with deepest regret that we have to announce the very sad news that our much loved husband and father John "Brad" Bradbury passed away on Monday the 28th of December. Brad's drumming was the powerhouse behind The Specials and it was seen as a key part to the Two Tone sound.

He was much respected in the world of drumming and his style of reggae and ska was seen as genuinely ground breaking when The Specials first hit the charts in 1979. He was an integral part of The Specials reforming in 2008 and toured with them extensively up to the present day.

His contribution to the world of music can not be understated and he will much missed by family, friends and fans alike. It is the families sincerest wish that they are allowed the time to remember him privately.

Jerry Dammers said:

Hearing of Brad's death has been a great shock to me and it is a very sad day indeed. I was friends with Brad and the two of us shared a house some time before the Specials . He was highly intelligent, had a very mischievous sense of humour which could be very funny, and he played the drums with an incredible amount of energy which was a very important part of the Specials' sound and live shows. We had some really great times together and it is truly tragic that he has died so young. My thoughts are with all his family.
– Jerry Dammers 29/12/2015

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