It's a sad day for the music industry: Adam Yauch, rapper, founding member, all-around beloved musician of the Beastie Boys , passed away on Friday at age 47. Fans and fellow musicians alike were affected by the shocking news about one of the preeminent, longest-lasting groups hip-hop has ever seen. Yauch and Michael "Mike D" Diamond first performed as the Beastie Boys with John Berry and Kate Schellenbach in 1981. The group released eight albums and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his salivary gland in 2009; he was unable to attend the Beastie Boys' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012, spurring speculation that the rapper had fallen gravely ill.
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Adam Yauch, founding member of the Beastie Boys, has died
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Posted: 05/04/2012 1:47 pm Updated: 05/04/2012 2:48 pm