NEWBURYPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Newburyport have identified the body of a 71-year-old man found in the Merrimack River earlier this week.
The department confirmed Robert Urzi of Newburyport was found near the Whittier Bridge on Tuesday morning.
Newburyport Police said investigators do not have reason to believe that foul play was involved in the death of Urzi, also known to residents as local musician “Bahama Bob.”
“We are saddened by this loss and our condolences go out the the family and friends of Bob,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Friends and fans filled Facebook with memories of the musician soon after learning the news, including one woman who touched on the musician’s career over the decades and his impact.
“No one could get a party started like Bahama Bob Sloane,” she said in a post. “From the first chords he played at any gig you were 19 and living your best life.”
“Bahama was one of a kind,” a man shared in another post. “A talented musician, (Rock Star according to him), and he was right. A true professional at any social gathering. This guy lived life to the fullest”
The Daily News of Newburyport reported that fans later held a gathering at the Tobacco Shack in Rowley, where Urzi played as a regular. Urzi also played often at venues such as the Plum Island Beachcoma in Newbury and The Deck in Salisbury, according to the Daily News.
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