The Beach Boys star Jeffrey Foskett dies aged 67 as tributes pour in

13 December 2023 , 15:24

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Jeffrey Foskett died

The Beach Boys star Jeffrey Foskett has died.

The musician was in a battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer, but unfortunately the disease was fatal. He shared on March 4 that he was cancer free. In a video, he showed himself ringing a bell at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to symbolism the end of the fight. Nonetheless, after four years of treatment which he light-heartedly described as the "best four years" of his life, he died at age 67.

Alongside the video, he wrote: “These people have given me what no one else on earth could have… LIFE…. Some of the past four years has been trying (I guess that’s why it’s called a clinical trial). It tries your body, mind and spirit but it has left me THRIVING and most importantly able to meet my grandson Domenic."

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Jeffrey also was a touring band member in Brian Wilson's solo project (Getty Images)

Actor John Stamos, a longtime friend of Jeffrey, penned a heartbreaking tribute, too. The star said he received the news with "uncontrollable tears" and "a physical manifestation of the heartache within." He wrote: "Jeff was more than just a friend; he was the one who brought the harmonies of The Beach Boys into my life, and with them, a spectrum of color and joy I never dreamed would be part of my life.”

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John said the news rattled his son, Billy, too. As he wept with grief, Billy ran off and returned with a drawing to help console his devastated father. "His innocent hands sketched a picture of Jeff with hearts ascending to heaven, with me, waving goodbye," John wrote. "A stairway of hearts, and next to the top heart, he wrote God. A simple yet powerful symbol of love and loss that pierced through my grief."

John Stamos and Brian Wilson paid tribute (Getty Images)

Bandmate Brian Wilson expressed his sorrow at the news. He wrote on Instagram: "I’m so heartbroken that my dear friend Jeff Foskett has passed. Jeff was always there for me when we toured and we couldn’t have done it without him. Jeff was one of the most talented guys I ever knew. He was a great musical leader and guitarist and he could sing like an angel.

"I first met Jeff in 1976 when he knocked on my door in Bel Air and I invited him in, and we were friends ever since. I don’t know what else to say. Love and Mercy to Jeff’s family and friends, we will remember him forever."

Scarlett O'Toole