Idaho’s John Berry Has Died

Photo via Idaho’s Facebook

John Berry, co-founder of the California indie rock band Idaho, has died. The band shared the news on Facebook, saying he “passed away peacefully in his sleep.”

Berry grew up in Los Angeles, California. In the 1980s, he began writing songs with his friend Jeff Martin. Their first Idaho single came out in 1992, and the following year, they released their debut album Year After Year. Berry left the band by the time Idaho released their second album in 1994. Late last year, the band released The Broadcast of Disease (below), which featured a series of early recordings made by Berry and Martin.

“He had a uniquely bright spirit that I know is still shining brilliantly in some other plane,” Martin wrote. “So much love headed towards you right now. We had quite a wild ride…thanks for showing me how to make music from the core.”