Former Crowded House Drummer Peter Jones Dead at 45

Crowded House are mourning the loss of onetime drummer Peter Jones, who passed away on Friday (May 18) in Melbourne at the age of 45. He had been suffering from brain cancer.

Jones, a onetime school teacher, took over behind the kit for the band in 1994 after the exit of Paul Hester and remained with the group through their 1996 split.

Crowded House revealed Jones' death on their website, stating, "We are in mourning today for the death of Peter Jones. We remember him as a warm-hearted, funny and talented man, who was a valuable member of Crowded House. He played with style and spirit. We salute him and send out love and best thoughts to his family and friends."

Singer Neil Finn took things a step further on Twitter with his own statement. He explained, "I am very sad to hear that Peter Jones has died. A great man and a wonderful drummer. RIP Pete."

In addition to Crowded House, Jones also played with Nick Seymour in his band Deadstar and counts stints with Harem Scarem and Stove Top among his credits.

Founding drummer Paul Hester committed suicide in 2005 after dealing with depression. The group reunited in 2007 and have used Matt Sherrod on drums ever since.