CRAWFORDVILLE, FL. (THECOUNT) — CJ Beach, a rising country singer-songwriter who fronted the band CJ & the Deadmen and founded the Deadman Walking Festival, has died at age 22 after a single-vehicle crash in Wakulla County, Florida, just hours after performing his final show.
Beach, a Tallahassee-area musician, was killed early Saturday, November 7, when his vehicle left Rehwinkel Road near Oakwood Trail in Crawfordville and struck several trees. The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened around 1:15 a.m. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Beach had performed Friday night at The Salty Donkey in Panacea, just hours before the fatal wreck. His father, Charles Beach, later confirmed his son’s death in a Facebook post.
“I appreciate all of the outpouring feelings and thoughts about my son CJ,” his father wrote. “Seeing all the posts with pictures and videos kills me, but I know he was loved by many and will be missed.”
Charles Beach also made a public appeal for road-safety improvements at the curve where his son crashed. He asked residents to contact Wakulla County commissioners and request warning lights and additional signs on both sides of the curve.
His father said another wreck had occurred at the same location and noted that vegetation damaged in the earlier crash had not even grown back. His request has brought attention to the stretch of Rehwinkel Road as the family and local music community mourn the young performer.
Beach performed both as a solo artist and as the frontman of CJ & the Deadmen. He also founded the Deadman Walking Festival, an event created to bring local musicians together and give performers opportunities to showcase their music.
The festival celebrated its fifth anniversary in April 2026. Organizers and fellow musicians remembered Beach not only for his talent but also for the effort he put into helping other artists and building the regional music scene.
Herb Donaldson, owner of the Palaver Tree Theater, told WTXL that Beach was deeply invested in supporting fellow musicians rather than simply promoting his own career. Donaldson said Beach worked to bring performers together and help build a stronger music community throughout Wakulla County and beyond.
“People just gravitated toward him,” Donaldson said, describing Beach as a major part of the local music community.
Tallahassee radio station X101.5 also paid tribute, calling Beach “one of the most talented young musicians from our area in a long time” and extending condolences to his family, friends and everyone who had the opportunity to hear him perform.
Beach regularly shared videos of himself singing and playing guitar online. His final Instagram post, published November 3, featured a performance of his original song “Cigarettes.”
His family said in a statement that they were devastated by the loss but deeply touched by the outpouring of support and tributes. They said Beach loved being with people and sharing his passion for music and songwriting.
A celebration of life is planned for Saturday, November 21. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, supporters make donations to the Palaver Tree Theater.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. No additional details about why the vehicle left the roadway have been released.
Rehwinkel Road is in Crawfordville, the county seat of Wakulla County in Florida’s Big Bend region, south of Tallahassee and along the Gulf Coast’s northeastern shoreline.
Rehwinkel Road near Oakwood Trail, Crawfordville, FL (approximate crash location)
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