The beach music community is mourning the loss of a legend. Howard Douglas Winstead, Jr., a longtime trumpeter and vocalist for the iconic Band of Oz, was killed in a multi-vehicle accident early Saturday morning.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol reports show the 67-year-old was traveling northbound on I-95 near Dunn when his minivan struck the back of a fuel tanker that had slowed for traffic. The Concord musician was returning home from a performance in South Carolina at the time of the crash.
Known affectionately as Doug, Winstead was a staple of the Carolina beach music scene for decades and was inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame in 2021. In a statement, the Band of Oz remembered Winstead as a brother and a world-class musician who brought joy to thousands of fans across the Carolinas.
