School of Rock drummer Kevin Clark dies in Chicago
Kevin Clark played drummer Freddy 'Spazzy McGee' Jones in the 2003 film School of Rock, featuring Jack Black. Photo: ABC/Paramount Pictures
Kevin Clark, the US actor who played drummer Freddy ‘Spazzy McGee’ Jones in the 2003 film School of Rock, is being remembered as a “beautiful soul” after he was reportedly struck and killed by a car while riding his bike.
The 32-year-old was cycling through the Chicago neighbourhood of Avondale on Wednesday (local time), when he was struck by a Hyundai Sonato at about 1.20am, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
He was taken to the nearby Illinois Masonic Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead a short time later, the paper said.
Clark – who began playing the drums when he was just three years old – was cast in School of Rock when he was 12, playing the role of Freddy, a drummer in Jack Black’s student band.
Taking to social media, Black described the news as “devastating”.
“Kevin is gone. Way too soon. Beautiful soul,” he wrote, alongside photos of the pair, who reunited in 2018 when Black was playing with his band, Tenacious D, in Chicago.
“So many great memories. Heartbroken. Sending love to his family and the whole School of Rock community.”
Rivkah Reyes, who portrayed the role of bassist Katie in School of Rock, paid tribute to the “big brother I never had”.
Tweet from @rivkahreyes
“Love you forever, Spaz. I will never forget your hugs and your laugh and the sheer joy on your face when we’d run into each other in Chicago,” she wrote on Twitter.
“Thank you for always showing up for me with that ‘big brother I never had’ energy.”
School of Rock was Clark’s only movie credit, but he continued to play the drums and had recently formed a new band, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
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