Aaron Spears, a Grammy-nominated drummer who played with Usher, Ariana Grande and many other major pop stars, has died. He was 47.
His death was confirmed on Monday in a statement on his official Instagram account by his wife Jessica that was co-signed by the couple’s son August. The statement did not provide details about other survivors or specify a time, place or cause of death. Representatives for Spears could not immediately be reached for comment late Monday night.
In 2004, he earned a Grammy nomination as a producer for Usher’s album “Confessions,” which sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. In 2005, Spears drummed during the Grammys for a medley of Usher’s “Caught Up” and James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” a performance that made the drumming community take notice.
Over the years, Spears also played with Grande, Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga, among many other artists, and performed several times on the show “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
“You’ve seen Aaron drum prolly 5-10 times in your life if you attend concerts & sometimes without knowing,” Ahmir Thompson, a drummer, D.J. and producer better known as Questlove, said in an Instagram post on Monday. “That’s how much in demand his services were.”
Spears was humble about his talent and success.
“The success that I’ve had is not necessarily because of me,” he said in a video published in May on the website of Ludwig Drums, one of his sponsors. “Its really the connection that I’ve had with other musicians has helped to make me better.”
Offstage, Spears held drum clinics and master classes around the world. During one such educational visit this year to Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., he sat in for a performance with the school’s marching band, the Human Jukebox.
Last week, Spears wrote in an Instagram post celebrating his birthday that the previous year had been one of the best of his life.
“With every trip around the sun that God blesses me with, my heart is filled with more gratitude and I’m more focused on the things that are most important,” he wrote. “I love and appreciate each of you for your kindness towards me, my gift and also to my family.”
