Kevin Clark, Who Played the Kid Drummer in School of Rock, Dies at 32

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Kevin Clark, who played kid drummer Freddy Jones in “School of Rock,” died on Wednesday, the Chicago Sun-Times and several other local outlets reported. He was 32.

Clark was riding his bicycle early Wednesday morning through the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago when a driver of a Hyundai Sonata struck him around 1:20 a.m., according to local police. Paramedics took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m., the Cook County medical examiner’s office and the Chicago Fire Department told the Sun-Times.

The 20-year-old woman who hit Clark with her car has not been arrested, but was issued citations, the police said.

The musician’s only acting credit was in the Jack Black-starring “School of Rock.” Growing up in Highland Park, Ill., Clark he learned to play the drums at a young age, which helped him secure the role of mouthy Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones at 12 years old. Freddy cemented the percussion section of substitute teacher Dewey Finn’s band in the Richard Linklater-directed film. Black took to Instagram to remember Clark.

“Devastating news,” he wrote on Instagram. “Kevin is gone. Way too soon. Beautiful soul. So many great memories. Heartbroken. Sending love to his family and the whole school of rock community.”

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Back in November 2018, Black and Clark reunited at a Tenacious D show in Chicago, where Clark gifted Black a Dreadwolf shirt— custom apparel from Clark’s own band. Though Clark did not continue with acting, music remained part of the rest of his life. Aside from working as a shift leader at a local Starbucks, Clark had also played in bands Funk It Let’s Jam and, more recently, Robbie Gold.

Clark is survived by his mom and sister. A memorial is planned for Wednesday night at the Wooden Nickel in Highwood, Ill.

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