Country singer CJ Beach has died at 22 after a car crash in Florida, just hours after taking the stage for what turned out to be his final performance.
Beach, a musician from the Tallahassee area, performed at The Salty Donkey, a restaurant and live music venue in Panacea, on Friday evening, November 6. In the early hours of Saturday, his car left Rehwinkel Road in Wakulla County at about 1:15 a.m. and struck several trees, according to information from the Florida Highway Patrol reported by the Tallahassee Democrat.
Beach was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported. The crash remains under investigation.
His father, Charles Beach, confirmed the death in an emotional Facebook post on Sunday, thanking those who had shared messages and memories of his son. He has since urged Wakulla County to add warning signs and lights at the curve where the crash happened.
Beach performed as a solo artist and with his band, CJ & The Deadmen, and founded the local Deadman Walking Music Festival in 2022. His last Instagram post, on November 3, showed him playing his song "Cigarettes" on guitar.
The young singer had built a local following through regular live performances and videos of his songs posted online. Tributes from fans and fellow musicians have poured in since his father's announcement.
