Keith Le Blanc | Grandmaster Flash and Nine Inch Nails drummer has died according to reports

Keith le Blanc, known for his role as a drummer for Nine Inch Nails and for producing the works of hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash, has died according to reports on social media. No cause of death has been announced and there is still debate on how old he was when he died - owing to debate of his year of birth.

The news was announced on April 4 2024 by dancefloor duo Optimo (Espacio), who in a tribute to the drummer wrote: “So sad to hear Keith Le Blanc has left us. Master of the beats! The 1st live human drum machine he, played on tons of my fave records. From Grandmaster Flash to Tackhead & far beyond his discography is insane!”

Le Blanc started his career at hip hop label Sugar Hill Records recording with Grandmaster Flash while also becoming a session drummer at the label for four years and was a studio musician for Tommy Boy Records.

However industrial music fans will be familiar with Le Blanc through his work with Nine Inch Nails, including his work on the 1989 album “Pretty Hate Machine,” providing drum tracks for two of the album’s biggest singles, “Head Like A Hole” and “Down In It.”  Le Blanc also released several solo albums, his most recent being his 2005 LP ‘Stop The Confusion (Global Interference)’.

Keith Le Blanc solo discography

• Major Malfunction (1986, World)
• Stranger Than Fiction (1989, Enigma)
• Invisible Spike (1991, Blanc)
• Raw (1990, Blanc)
• Time Traveller (1992, Blanc)
• Freakatorium (1999, Blanc)
• Stop the Confusion (Global Interference) (2005, Collision: Cause of Chapter 3)