CJ Beach, promising country music star, dies at 22 after devastating crash hours after performance
Crash after Friday performance
Beach performed Friday at The Salty Donkey, a restaurant and tiki bar in Panacea, Florida. Hours later, his car ran off a road and struck several trees, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which spoke with the Tallahassee Democrat.
Beach was not wearing a seatbelt, the outlet reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred at 1:15 a.m. Saturday.
Father calls for road warnings
Beach’s father, Charlie, confirmed his son’s death in a Facebook post Sunday. He thanked people for their messages and said seeing photos and videos of CJ was painful, while noting that many people loved him and would miss him.
Charlie asked fans to urge county commissioners to put warning lights and signs at the site of the fatal crash. He said he was making the request in memory of his son.
Music and community legacy
Beach’s last Instagram post, dated Nov. 3, showed him playing guitar and singing his song “Cigarettes.” Radio station X101.5 Tallahassee also shared a video of Beach performing at the Deadmen Walking Festival in Crawfordville in April.
Beach founded the annual festival in Wakulla County in 2022. It supports independent and local artists in Wakulla County and Tallahassee. The station expressed sorrow over his death and offered condolences to his family, friends and the local music community.
Key points
- CJ Beach died Saturday after his car struck several trees in Florida.
- The crash happened at 1:15 a.m., hours after he performed in Panacea.
- His father urged fans to seek warning lights and signs at the crash site.
- Beach founded the Deadmen Walking Festival in 2022 to support local artists.