EMF keyboardist and sampler Derry Brownson dead at 55

Friday, August 14, 2026 at 6:39 AM

Derran "Derry" Brownson, keyboardist and sampler of "Unbelievable" band EMF, has died. He was 55. "Late last night we started to hear the news that we have lost our Brother In Arms Derran Brownson," EMF writes in a Facebook post published Friday. "We are devastated, [...]

Derran "Derry" Brownson, keyboardist and sampler of "Unbelievable" band EMF, has died. He was 55.

"Late last night we started to hear the news that we have lost our Brother In Arms Derran Brownson," EMF writes in a Facebook post published Friday. "We are devastated, the only solace we can find is that we are eternally grateful Derry was able to join us on stage a couple times just a few short months back."

The bands adds, "Nothing will ever be the same again without our band mate and friend, fly high brother Derry."

Brownson was a founding member of EMF, which formed in 1989 in Gloucestershire, England. The band's debut album, 1991's Schubert Dip, spawned the hit "Unbelievable," which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

EMF put out two more albums in the '90s before going on hiatus. The band reformed several times over the years before finally putting out their fourth album, Go Go Sapiens, in 2022.

The most recent EMF release is the 2025 EP Reach for Something Higher .

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