A beloved Grammy winner is dead after a terrifying incident in New Orleans. Kerry “Fatman” Hunter has died, according to reports from NOLA.com and WWL-TV. He was 53.
On early Tuesday morning, Jeremy Lindsey, age 21, hit Hunter with his Honda Accord while the musician was walking. Hunter became lodged in the car’s windshield as a result of the crash. Lindsey allegedly kept driving for two miles as Hunter’s body remained caught in Lindsey’s vehicle.
The driver is said to have eventually flagged down an ambulance, but it was too late. Authorities pronounced Hunter, a one-time Grammy winner with two total nominations, dead at the scene. Police arrested Lindsey, who they say had a BAC above the legal limit, and charged him with vehicular homicide and hit-and-run.
Grammy-Award Winning Brass Band Drummer, Kerry “Fatman” Hunter Killed in New Orleans Hit and Run
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— Relix (@RelixMag) February 16, 2024
Hunter performed in several groups over the years but his industry acclaim came with New Orleans Nightcrawlers. The group has received two Grammy nominations in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category with one win for their 2021 effort Atmosphere. (Their second nomination came at the 2024 Grammys, though their album Too Much to Hold lost out at Feb. 4 ceremony.)
A memorial service was held for Tuba Fats Square in New Orleans on Wednesday. On social media, many have paid tribute to Hunter, including actor and NOLA native Wendell Pierce.
“Kerry Hunter was a fixture on the music scene in New Orleans,” Pierce said. “When I saw him on the bandstand I knew the continuim of tradition and creativity that is part of brass band music in the Crescent City was being held up to a high standard of the syncopation RIP.”