Greg Brown, the co-founder and original guitarist of the alternative rock band CAKE, has died, according to a statement by the band.

On February 7th, Cake posted on their Instagram sharing the news, stating that he died, "after a brief illness." Brown's exact date of birth is unknown, but he was either 55 or 56.

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"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown's passing," the statement says. "Greg was an integral part of CAKE’s early sound and development. His creative contributions were immense, and his presence—both musical and personal—will be deeply missed. Godspeed, Greg."

Brown co-founded Cake in 1991 alongside John McCrea, Vince DiFiore, Frank French, and Shon Meckfessel. Brown recorded two albums with the band, Motorcade of Generosity and Fashion Nugget, before quitting in 1997 to join the band Deathray. Brown was a significant songwriterfor CAKE at the time, penning the band's first platinum song, "The Distance", from their platinum album, Fashion Nugget.