The Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes has died at the age of 44 after a battle with brain cancer.


The rocker died in hospital on Tuesday morning after undergoing three years of treatment, and several operations, in a bid to beat the disease.
The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess broke the sad news to fans in a post on his Twitter.com page, writing, 'Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning. We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family.'
A statement from the band read: 'Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band. Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with ... all of Jon's family.'
Brookes was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010 after suffering a seizure and collapsing on stage during a gig with the group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was forced to sit out a lot of work with the band to undergo treatment, and The Verve drummer Pete Salisbury stepped in to replace him for a number of live shows. Brookes underwent his third operation just last month.
The musician was one of the founding members of the band back in the 1980s and shot to fame with the group during their 1990s heyday.
The Charlatans suffered a previous tragedy when keyboard player Rob Collins w.