Longtime Prince Drummer John Blackwell Jr. Dies In Florida

TAMPA, FL — One of Prince's drummers, 43-year-old John Blackwell Jr., has died in Florida.

Blackwell's wife, Yaritza Blackwell, said in a post Tuesday on his official Instagram account that he died "peacefully" in her company. She thanked God for his life and his fans for their support.

The Tampa-based Blackwell was Prince's drummer for more than a decade. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office did not respond to a message seeking confirmation of Blackwell's death.

A Go Fund Me account set up by his wife said Blackwell was in the process of getting tested for "what the doctors think may be tumors in his brain." The fund, set up about four months ago, had raised about $79,000.

Photo credit: bigdrumthump.com via Flickr/Creative Commons