Fuel lost its original drummer, Jody Abbott, after the musician passed away recently. He was 55.
Multiple news outlets, including Local Memphis and Fox 13 Memphis, reported Abbott's death this week. They confirmed that the former Fuel drummer and Memphis resident died on July 20.
The Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) released a statement regarding the saddening news, confirming that Jody Abbott's cause of death was due to Huntington's disease he suffered for years.
"We are saddened today by the news of the passing of Jody Abbott, former drummer for @fuelofficial and #BreakingPoint. Our sincere condolences go out to Amy and their entire family," the HDSA said.
The Alzheimer's Association describes Huntington's disease as a progressive brain disorder that occurs when a defective gene affects the central area of the brain. Named after George Huntington, M.D. who first described it in the 1800s, the defect is said to be dominant and can be inherited by those people whose parents suffer from it, as well.
According to officials, the disease is like having ALS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease all at once. The press statement about Abbott's death also revealed that "today there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at risk of inheriting the disease."
Jody Abbott's Music Career
Fuel's career started in 1989 when Abbott met Carl Bell. They formed a college campus band, Wanted, in Tennessee before changing their names multiple times from Phoenix and Reel Too Real to Small the Joy.
In 1996, they officially named the band Fuel before releasing their second EP, "Porcelain." Years later, Abbott left the band and let Jonathan Mover replace him.
Before his exit, he contributed to the band's four Eps, including "Small the Joy," "Fuel," "Porcelain," and "Hazleton." One of the band's songs, "Shimmer," made it to the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
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Although he left Fuel, his music career did not end there. He joined another rock group, Breaking Point, and released "Coming of Age." The songs they created made it to several films, including "Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge," "The Scorpion King," and "Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug."
After his death, his wife shared a statement and urged everyone to get tested for the disease that claimed her husband's life.
"Be involved in your community. Seek out a support group. Volunteer for a fundraiser. There is so much knowledge out there and it is important to talk to people who have lived through this," she went on.
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