Beastie Boys star John Berry dies aged 52 after suffering from dementia

Beastie Boys star John Berry has died at the age of 52 after battling frontal lobe dementia.

The original member of the hip hop group, who joined the band in 1981, passed away on Thursday morning.

Berry’s father has confirmed the news to Rolling Stone, saying that his son had died at a hospice in Danvers, Massachusetts.

John Berry III confirmed that his son had been suffering from dementia, with his condition deteriorating in recent months.

Despite only being in the group for a short time, Berry was a founding member and is credited with coming up with the name of the band.

He was originally a member of punk group The Young Aborigines in 1978, before they went on to become Beastie Boys.

Alongside Michael Diamond, Kate Schellenbach and Adam "MCA" Yauch, Berry released their first seven-inch EP Polly Who Stew in 1982.

He left the band shortly afterwards and was replaced by Adam Horovitz.

After Schellenbach also left the band, they continued as a three-piece, going on to release eight studio albums.

Yauch passed away back in 2012 at the age of 47 after a battle with cancer.