A founding member of the cult 90s band EMF has been remembered as being “beautiful inside and out” following his death at the age of 55.

EMF, known best for their hit Unbelievable, said their original keyboardist Derran “Derry” Brownson died on Thursday following a brain tumour diagnosis.

Derry spoke to the BBC about his diagnosis in July 2025, the month he and his bandmates returned to their hometown of Cinderford to play at Cindyfest, which he said was “very, very special”.

Ian Dench, Derry’s bandmate, said: “I can’t think of anyone who embodied lust for life like Derry did. I mean, he was beautiful inside out.”

In the early days of EMF, Gloucester-born Ian said it was “fun-loving” Derry that made him feel at home in the Forest of Dean as an outsider.

Ian said he was grateful the band got the opportunity to perform in Cinderford again.

“It was really a lovely moment, just the circularity of that, all the years later to be back in Cinderford.

“That was a wonderful, wonderful moment before Derry got very ill and, you know, he played that show, he played a handful more shows.”

Ian said Derry performed for the last time in May at a show in Frome, and he had still been “making jokes” when the pair were texting a few weeks ago.

The band were also honoured with a blue plaque in the town in May 2025.

In July 2025, Derry told the BBC he was living with a cancerous brain tumour and had undergone surgery to remove some of it.

He said the NHS care he received was “absolutely above and beyond”.

“[It’s] just a battle really. I want to get back into playing, that has meant a lot actually just to do this gig now in our hometown,” Derry said at the time.

“Doing gigs in your hometown can sometimes be a pain… but this is very, very special to me.”

Ian said one of his favourite memories of Derry involved him throwing a television out of a hotel room window with another musician after negative comments were broadcast about Wolverhampton Wanderers – Derry’s favourite football team.

“I don’t want you to think that Derry was all craziness because he did have a very sensitive side,” he said.

“He was very active in looking after the hedgehogs where he lived in Devon… underneath all that excitement and laughter he was a sensitive soul and, as I said, a beautiful person inside and out.”

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