28-Year-Old Metal Star Dies Suddenly: Family and Bandmates Confirm Death of Lukas Booker

The music community is mourning the unexpected passing of Lukas Booker, bassist for rising metalcore band 156/Silence, who died on Friday at just 28 years old.

The tragic news was shared by the musician’s family and bandmates over the weekend. Booker’s older sister, Brittany Patrick, established a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses, which has already garnered substantial support, exceeding $33,000 against an initial $10,000 target.

She described her brother as “a great man and a wonderful light that made the world brighter” who “would do anything for anyone that needed him,” adding that “he absolutely loved his family, the band he played in, and his friends.”

Another sister, Courtney, expressed her devastation in a social media message: “Little Brother, what am I supposed to do with this! I feel like I can’t breathe, my brain is going in circles, my heart is completely shattered. I love you so so much—this is completely unreal. I’ll miss you for the rest of my life!! Lukas Booker, you broke me with this one, my baby!!”

On Saturday, 156/Silence released an official statement confirming their bandmate’s death: “Yesterday afternoon we were devastated to learn of the passing of our brother, dear friend, and beloved bandmate Lukas Booker. Anyone that knew Lukas knew how kind, selfless, and genuine he was. He would watch every band, mosh before our set, and still had enough energy to put it all out there on stage. No matter where he was, he was just happy to be there. He lived for music, and his smile was infectious. In many ways, he was the heart of 156, and the world is a darker place without him. His light will be immensely and immeasurably missed.”

The specific circumstances surrounding Booker’s death have not been disclosed, though the GoFundMe page mentions that he “passed away suddenly” and did not have life insurance coverage.

Despite their loss, 156/Silence has confirmed they will proceed with their upcoming tour supporting Silent Planet and Invent Animate, which begins April 17 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The tour will promote their 2024 album People Watching and includes stops across North America, concluding with festival appearances at Sonic Temple and Welcome to Rockville in May. “In his honor we will be continuing on with our scheduled shows,” the band stated.

In addition to his role in 156/Silence, Booker fronted Dablab, a Pennsylvania-based stoner doom trio that released The Dablab Experience EP earlier in 2024. Metal Insider reported that Dablab had a performance scheduled in Pittsburgh on the day of Booker’s passing.

The outpouring of grief extended beyond Booker’s immediate family and bandmates, with dozens of online tributes appearing over the weekend. In their statement, his bandmates in 156/Silence expressed their sorrow and a sense of interrupted potential that comes with such a loss: “We love you so much Lukas. You were supposed to be here for the whole ride, buddy. We were supposed to conquer the world together. We’ll see you soon brother.”

For those wishing to contribute to the funeral expenses, donations are being collected through the GoFundMe campaign set up by Patrick, with all funds going to Booker’s father, Maurice Booker.