‘School of Rock’ Drummer Kevin Clark Dead at 32, Fatally Struck by Car

Gone too soon. School of Rock actor Kevin Clark, who was a kid drummer in the 2003 film, is dead at 32, In Touch can confirm.

Officials received his body at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office told In Touch. The incident was identified as a motor vehicle and bicycle accident. An autopsy was completed, and Clark’s cause of death was determined as blunt force injury due to motor vehicle and bicycle collision.

TMZ was the first to report the news of his death. A motorist hit Clark while he was cycling around Chicago, police shared. The musician was riding his bicycle on the northwest side in the morning when he was struck by a Hyundai Sonata. Although Clark was rushed to a hospital, medical staff could not save his life.

Law enforcement said the motorist who struck Clark was a 20-year-old woman. Although she was not arrested, she was issued citations. 

Clark, who was known for his role as Freddy Jones, a.k.a. Spazzy McGee, in the film starring Jack Black, reunited with the comedian back in 2018 for a Tenacious D set in Chicago. 

During the gig with Black’s band, Clark gave him a custom shirt from his own band, Dreadwolf, and the Jumanji actor proudly wore it.  

Black has since released a statement mourning the loss of Clark via Instagram on May 26. “Devastating news. 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,” he penned in a social media tribute.

Maryam Hassan, who played one of the star pupils in School of Rock, recently talked about her incredible experience making the film and working with Black in a January interview with Vulture. 

“As a 9-year-old, he didn’t give me the impression of being an adult. He’s a big kid. I never felt anything like, Oh my God, I’m on the set with Jack Black,” Hassan said. “He totally dispelled the notion of how a movie star would behave. He played games with us all the time, sang all the time, and made up songs for us when we weren’t shooting. It was really easy and fun to work with him, and he made all of us feel so comfortable, especially since most of us had never acted before.” 

That included Clark, who scored his role with his impeccable talent for playing the drums.