Jet Black Biography, Cause of Death, Wife, Children, Age, Family, Net Worth

Jet Black, drummer with the Stranglers, business owner, and designer has died at the age of 84.

How Did Jet Black Die?

On the Stranglers’ website, it was revealed in March 2007 that Black suffered atrial fibrillation and had postponed performing with the group until he had recovered.

In June, he rejoined the band and announced his retirement from touring outside of the United Kingdom due to health problems brought on by protracted travel.

Black’s full-time drum technician Ian Barnard filled in for him while he was away (born 1983).

On 12 March 2012, Black was taken to hospital after “falling ill” shortly before a Stranglers concert at the O2 Academy Oxford.

He was again replaced by Barnard during the gig. The Stranglers announced the following day that he had been taken to hospital via ambulance after feeling unwell shortly after the band’s soundcheck.

It was confirmed that the illness was a “severe chest infection” but that Black intended to rejoin the tour when he was “fit and able”, however, he did not rejoin the tour due to a slow recovery.

In mid-2008, he was again absent from several Stranglers gigs. It was shortly thereafter announced that he was suffering from chest problems and was “not rushing back to work” on the advice of his doctor. In September 2008, he returned to full rehearsals and began touring with the band on 13 October.

During the Stranglers’ 2010 and 2011 UK tours, Black performed at every gig. He played the full sets, which were approximately 90 minutes in length.

On January 30, he stated, “I’ve had a bit of problem, but I’m still playing gigs,” in an interview with BBC Breakfast. He filled in for The Stranglers’ touring drummer Jim Macaulay on early dates of the tour, performing about four songs, including “Genetix.”

These performances were, however, restricted to locations with stages big enough for two drum kits.

Who Was Jet Black?

Before he joined The Stranglers, Jet Black was a simple individual. He was in the field of business as he owned ice cream vans, which were later utilized to travel the United Kingdom.

In the beginning, the band would meet at his off-licensing apartment and hang out there.

He also wrote two books about the band’s detention in France when they were accused of disturbing the peace throughout his career.

In addition to being a fantastic musician, he also created furniture and designed a bass drum pedal.

Anthony and Charlotte, as well as Jet Black’s wife Ava, are his two children.

Jet Black’s Early Career

Jet Black was a founding member of the Stranglers. He was founded in Guildford in 1974. His playing technique helped them establish their unique sound achieving 23 top 40 singles and 19 top 40 albums, according to the official UK charts.

The drummer, whose full name was Brian John Duffy, was one of the key members of The Stranglers as he was present when the band was formed in Guildford in 1974.
He was also one of the reasons why the band had such a unique sound due to his evident talent.

Their hits included Peaches, No More Heroes, and Golden Brown, which won the band an Ivor Novello award, while their third album, Black and White, from 1978, is still considered to be the first post-punk album.

Jet Black’s Cause of Death

Drummer for The Stranglers Jet Black passes away at age 84 after “years of terrible health.” According to his representative, as reported by The Guardian, the singer spent his final years in North Wales to be near his friends and family while he suffers from an unidentified health ailment, but he’s been retired from the music industry since 2015 due to respiratory health issues.

He died “peacefully” after “years of ill health” on December 6, 2022.

Jet Black Wife

His second wife, Helena, left him following several arguments over the Stranglers rehearsing in their home during the early days of the band.

Black had no contact with former Stranglers singer Hugh Cornwell after he left the band in 1990. According to Cornwell’s 2004 autobiography, when he telephoned Black to announce his resignation, the latter’s response was simply “OK, fine.” In 2014, he confirmed in a newspaper interview with the Oxford Times that he did not keep in touch with Cornwell. He most recently lived in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, where he reportedly designed and built wooden furniture.