The teenage son of the drummer from The Levellers was with a friend when he was hit by a bus in the early hours of the morning, an inquest heard.
Charlie Heather’s son Alfie Harbord was involved in the crash on Brighton seafront on Saturday.
Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley opened the inquest at Brighton and Hove Coroner’s Court on Thursday to hear brief evidence of the incident.
The court heard the 15-year-old was with a friend when he was hit by the bus on the westbound carriageway of Marine Parade near the junction with Burlington Street.
The Dorothy Stringer School student, who lived with his parents in the city, was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, but pronounced dead just under half an hour later.
A post-mortem examination found the provisional cause of death was due to a head injury.
Mrs Hamilton-Deeley adjourned the inquest until September 4 to allow police officers time to investigate the circumstances and so the teenager’s family could arrange a funeral.
Police constable Christine Davidson, of Sussex Police, told the court a passer-by dialled 999 and the ambulance arrived within a couple of minutes, adding: “The investigation is in its very early stages and is ongoing.”
The band, who formed in the city in 1988 and were due to start a tour next month, said in a statement they were “deeply saddened” by the news and it was a “great shock” for the family.
Updates on the forthcoming tour would be issued in the coming days, the statement said.