Aaron Spears, a Grammy-nominated drummer who performed with Usher, Ariana Grande and lots of different main pop stars, has died. He was 47.
His loss of life was confirmed on Monday in a statement on his official Instagram account by his spouse Jessica that was co-signed by the couple’s son August. The assertion didn’t present particulars about different survivors or specify a time, place or explanation for loss of life. Representatives for Spears couldn’t instantly be reached for remark late Monday night time.
In 2004, he earned a Grammy nomination as a producer for Usher’s album “Confessions,” which offered greater than 15 million copies worldwide. In 2005, Spears drummed in the course of the Grammys for a medley of Usher’s “Caught Up” and James Brown’s “Intercourse Machine,” a performance that made the drumming group take discover.
Through the years, Spears additionally performed with Grande, Lil Wayne and Girl Gaga, amongst many different artists, and carried out a number of instances on the present “Late Night time with Seth Meyers.”
“You’ve seen Aaron drum prolly 5-10 instances in your life in the event you attend concert events & generally with out figuring out,” Ahmir Thompson, a drummer, D.J. and producer higher referred to as Questlove, stated in an Instagram publish on Monday. “That’s how a lot in demand his companies have been.”
Spears was humble about his talent and success.
“The success that I’ve had just isn’t essentially due to me,” he said in a video revealed in Could on the web site of Ludwig Drums, certainly one of his sponsors. “Its actually the connection that I’ve had with different musicians has helped to make me higher.”
Offstage, Spears held drum clinics and grasp lessons all over the world. Throughout one such academic go to this 12 months to Southern College in Baton Rouge, La., he sat in for a performance with the college’s marching band, the Human Jukebox.
Final week, Spears wrote in an Instagram post celebrating his birthday that the earlier 12 months had been among the best of his life.
“With each journey across the solar that God blesses me with, my coronary heart is stuffed with extra gratitude and I’m extra targeted on the issues which might be most necessary,” he wrote. “I like and admire every of you in your kindness in the direction of me, my reward and likewise to my household.”
