Rock Star Dead at 46: Sister Confirms Death of Joe Murphy

A 2000s rock musician has sadly died at age 46.

Joe Murphy of the rock group Koopa died in June, according to Eleanor Yates, his sister and the namesake of his solo track “Song for Eleanor.”

“For those who knew him, it breaks my heart to say that my big brother, Joe Murphy has passed away,” Yates wrote via Facebook on June 27. “Love you big bro.”

She did not disclose the circumstances around Murphy’s passing, includes a cause of death.

Murphy suffered heart issues in 2021, but it is unclear if his death is related to that condition.

Murphy, along with bandmates Ollie and Stu Cooper, made waves in the mid-2000s as Koopa. The group’s song “Blag, Steal & Borrow” famously made history by becoming the first song from an unsigned act to reach the U.K. charts.

Their other notable tracks included “500 Miles,” “No Trend” and the soccer anthem “Stand Up 4 England.” Their singles were collected into the compilation Greatest Hits (Part One) in 2009.

The group’s final release was the 2017 demo recording of the song “Antidote.” Koopa teased a full album in support of the track, but a new LP never materialized.

Murphy regularly released solo recordings on his Soundcloud profile, including a cover of Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One” that racked up more than 157,000 listens since its release.