CJ Beach Dies at 22: Promising Country Music Star Killed in Crash
CJ Beach, a promising country music star from Tallahassee, Florida, died at 22 in a single-car crash early Saturday. He had played a show hours earlier. His father is asking fans to press county officials for warning signs at the site.
CJ Beach, a promising country music star from Tallahassee, Florida, died in a car accident early Saturday at age 22, hours after a Friday night performance.
The Florida Highway Patrol said his car ran off a road at 1:15 a.m. and struck several trees. Beach was not wearing a seatbelt. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A final show in Panacea
Beach had played Friday at The Salty Donkey, a restaurant and tiki bar in Panacea, Florida. The crash came just hours later.
His last Instagram post went up on November 3. It showed him playing his song "Cigarettes" on guitar and singing. Fans have since filled the comments with condolences.
His father's request
Beach's father, Charlie, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Sunday. "I appreciate all of the outpouring feelings and thoughts about my son CJ," he wrote.
He said seeing the posts with pictures and videos "kills me, but I know he was loved by many and will be missed."
Charlie Beach then asked fans to urge county commissioners to install warning lights and signs where the crash happened. "That is what I ask for in memory of my son CJ," he wrote. "Please help me out."
Founder of a local festival
Beach founded the annual Deadmen Walking Festival in Wakulla County, Florida, in 2022. The event supports independent and local artists across Wakulla County and Tallahassee. Its lineup mixes rock, country and new-age music.
Radio station X101.5 Tallahassee paid tribute on Facebook. It shared video of Beach performing at the festival in Crawfordville, Florida, in April.
"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic passing of one of the most talented young musicians from our area in a long time," the station wrote. It sent condolences to the local music community and to Beach's friends and family.
The station also reached out to "anyone who was ever lucky enough to hear him play live." It said Beach organized the April festival and brought the community and several musicians together for "an amazing night of live music."
Its post closed with the words: "Rest easy, CJ."
