Derran "Derry" Brownson, founding keyboardist of the British band EMF, best known for the 1990 hit "Unbelievable," has died at age 55. Brownson passed away on Thursday, August 13, with the band announcing the news the following morning.

The Band's Tribute

EMF shared the news in an emotional social media post: "Late last night we started to hear the news that we have lost our Brother In Arms Derran Brownson," the band wrote. "We are devastated, the only solace we can find is that we are eternally grateful Derry was able to join us on stage a couple times just a few short months back. Nothing will ever be the same again without our band mate and friend, fly high brother Derry."

A Recent Cancer Battle

Brownson had revealed in a 2025 interview with the BBC that he was living with a cancerous brain tumor, for which he underwent surgery to remove part of the growth. He praised the care he received through Britain's National Health Service during treatment. "It's just a battle really," Brownson told the BBC at the time. BBC Gloucestershire also reported he had been receiving treatment leading up to his death.

From Cinderford to the Billboard Hot 100

Brownson formed EMF — an acronym reportedly standing for "Epsom Mad Funkers" — in 1989 in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England, alongside singer James Atkin, DJ Milf, drummer Marc Decloedt, and guitarist Zac Foley. The band's breakthrough single, "Unbelievable," released in October 1990 as the lead single from debut album Schubert Dip, became a global smash, reaching No. 3 in the UK in December 1990 before topping the US Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1991. The track's signature hook famously sampled comedian Andrew Dice Clay. According to music outlet Stereogum, guitarist and lead songwriter Ian Dench came up with the song's melody while hungover, following a night of partying with Brownson.

Schubert Dip went platinum in the US and spawned additional hits, including "I Believe," which reached No. 6 in the UK, and "Lies," which peaked at No. 19 in America. Though the band's American success faded quickly after the initial breakthrough, EMF remained popular at home, scoring another UK hit in 1995 with a cover of the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," recorded alongside comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

A Band That Kept Reforming

EMF broke up in 1995, after which Brownson formed a new band called LK. The group has reunited multiple times over the following decades — first in 2007 for a short-lived run of shows, then again in 2012, which led to their first new album in 27 years, Go Go Sapiens, released in 2022, followed by The Beauty and the Chaos in 2024. According to NME, news of Brownson's death comes as the band had recently been finishing work on a new 14-song album, and they had been preparing for a 35th-anniversary tour marking the release of Schubert Dip later this year.

The Second Original Member Lost

Brownson is the second member of EMF's original lineup to pass away. Bassist Zac Foley died in 2002 at age 31; a pathologist's report found high traces of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbiturates, and alcohol in his system, with his death ruled as resulting from "misadventure." "Unbelievable" producer Ralph Jezzard also passed away in February of last year.

Tributes From the Music World

Fellow musicians and bands including Therapy?, Feeder, Ash, 'A', and former Creation Records boss Alan McGee have offered condolences to EMF following the announcement. For more on Brownson's legacy and career, see Louder Sound's obituary.

Brownson leaves behind a legacy as one of the architects of one of the most enduring dance-rock anthems of the early 1990s — a song that, three decades on, remains instantly recognizable to a generation that came of age alongside EMF's breakout success.