Elvis Jackson, the Slovenian punk rockers from Ajdovščina, announced on social media that their original founding member and longtime guitarist Boštjan Beltram – Berto has passed away after a long illness.
Berto played guitar with Elvis Jackson from the very beginning, since the band’s formation at the end of 1997. Between 1999 and 2015, Elvis Jackson put out five albums and one EP, and Berto played guitar on all of them, with his playing making a major contribution to shaping the band’s recognizable, one-of-a-kind sound.
Berto played over 1,000 shows with Elvis Jackson, sharing stages with plenty of big names from the rock world, including The Offspring, NOFX, Faith No More, Sepultura, Ska-P, Asian Dub Foundation, Propagandhi, Skindred, Chumbawamba, Anthrax, Agnostic Front, Suicidal Tendencies, Soulfly, Morgan Heritage, Fishbone, Patrice, No Use For A Name, Lagwagon, Bloodhound Gang, Millencolin, Manu Chao, Cro-Mags.
In 2023, health problems forced Berto to step aside, and guitarist Marty Favento took his place in Elvis Jackson. With the new lineup, Elvis Jackson released their sixth studio album, “We Play 4 You”, in February 2025.
In the photo: Boštjan Beltram – Berto performing with Elvis Jackson on May 18, 2011, at Ljubljanske Križanke (RockLine photo archive 2006-2026, all rights reserved). You can read the full RockLine review of the show HERE.
