Brian Travers: Legendary UB40 Founding Member, Saxophonist Dead at 62
- Brian Travers was a UB40 saxophonist and co-songwriter, having worked with the band since its inception in 1978
- The artist died at his home surrounded by family on Sunday after a long battle with cancer
- The group mourned him as a brother, musical legend and comrade while asking for privacy during the tough moment
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
Famous UK band UB40 is in mourning after the demise of one of their founding members, Brain Travers, who died at the age of 62.
Source: Getty Images
The UB40 saxophonist and co-songwriter had endured a "long and heroic battle" with cancer. According to a statement shared on the band's Facebook and Twitter pages, Brian died with his family by his side on Sunday, August 22.
The group mourned him as a comrade, brother and musical legend, saying he had a difficult time with cancer. The statement also noted the group's thoughts were with his wife Lesley, daughter Lisa and son Jamie.
They also asked fans to respect the family's need for privacy through the difficult period.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!
Brian Traver's cancer battle
According to BBC, Brian had surgery to remove two brain tumours in 2019 and early this year; he went through another operation.
He had missed the band's performance in March 2019 after having a seizure at home and was later found to have the tumours.
His last performance with the band was in December 2019 at the Arena Birmingham.
The late formed UB40 with a group of school friends in 1978, and they borrowed the name of the official Unemployment Benefit Form 40, which ended up being UB40, which was for people who were signing for the dole.
The group from Birmingham, England, enjoyed success as they had 39 UK top 40 singles and 28 top 40 albums. They also sold over 100 million albums worldwide.
The group has also been nominated for a Grammy four times.
Dennis ‘Dee Tee’ Thomas' passing
In other sad news, Briefly News reported about the passing of co-founder of the Kool & The Gang Band, Dennis 'Dee Tee' Thomas, who was aged 70.
According to a statement shared on the group's Facebook page, the singer died on Saturday, August 7, peacefully in his sleep in New Jersey, US. The original member of the band was described as the "quintessential cool cat in the group, loved for his hip clothes and hats, and his laid-back demeanor".
The band grew from jazz roots in the 1960s and became a major hit in the 1970s, blending jazz, funk, R&B and pop, according to NBC News. The group had a successful musical career spanning 50 plus years at the top and earned two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards.
Source: Briefly News
