John Berry was a founding member of the Beastie Boys!!!

By Don Melvin, CNN

Updated 1:53 PM ET, Fri May 20, 2016

(CNN) John Berry, the founding member of the Beastie Boys and the person who came up with the groundbreaking hip hop group's name, has died. He was 52.

Berry died Thursday morning at a hospice in Danvers, Massachusetts.

He suffered from frontotemporal dementia and his health had been failing for several years, his father, John Berry III, said.

Frontotemporal dementia shrinks brain tissues and leads to changes in personality and behavior, and difficulties with language.

"It's nice to see the outpouring of love and support for our son," Berry III said, after his son's death. "He was a tremendous son, a tremendous musician, and quite a wonderful artist."

The Beastie Boys, who blended punk and rap, burst on the music scene in 1986 with the album "Licensed to Ill," which included hits such as "(You Gotta) Fight for the Right (to Party"), an anthem to teen angst; "Brass Monkey" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn."

Their success in hip-hop was notable at a time when the music form was dominated by African-American performers.

"The group's music crossed genres and color lines, and helped bring rap to a wider audience," said Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy.

But Berry had departed long before then

He played on the band's first EP, "Polly Wog Stew," but left the group shortly afterward.

The band thanked Berry, calling him a formative member, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

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CNN's Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

Do you have what it takes to be a Music Manager?

*Comments from Barry Brown (B. Brown) - The Art of Music Management

There are a lot of people connected to the music industry in some form or fashion. The one position that a lot of people believe they will be successful in is the position of Manager. It is probably the 2nd most popular position chosen next to being the actual ARTIST.

A talent manager, also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day business affairs of an artist; advise and counsel talent concerning professional matters, long-term plans and personal decisions which may affect their career.^[1]

The roles and responsibilities of a talent manager vary slightly from industry to industry, as do the commissions to which the manager is entitled. For example, a music manager's duties differ from those managers who advise actors, writers, or directors. A manager can also help artists find an agent, or help them decide when to leave their current agent and identify who to select as a new agent.^[2] Talent agents have the authority to make deals for their clients while managers usually can only informally establish connections with producers and studios but do not have the ability to negotiate contracts.

Modern talents managers are associated with all artistic fields, sports, as well as various fields in business.^{[citation needed]} Talent agents have at times been covered in the music or art press almost as intently as artists themselves.
A music manager (or band manager) may handle career areas for bands, singers, and DJs. A music manager may be hired by a musician or band, or the manager may discover the band, and the relationship is usually contractually bound with mutual assurances, warranties, performances guarantees, and so forth. The manager's main job is to help with determining decisions related to career moves, bookings, promotion, business deals, recording contracts, etc. The role of music managers can be extensive and may include similar duties to that of a press agent, promoter, booking agent, business manager (who are usually certified public accountants), tour managers, and sometimes even a personal assistant.

--- Wikipedia