Founding Cake guitarist, Greg Brown, dies

Greg Brown playing guitar on stage
Greg Brown Guitarist Greg Brown is shown performing on stage during a live concert appearance with Cake on November 12, 1996. He died after a brief illness. (Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images) (John Atashian/John Atashian/Getty Images)

The founding guitarist of the alternative rock group Cake has died.

Greg Brown died after a brief illness.

His death was announced in a social media post made by the band, Billboard reported.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown’s passing after a brief illness,” the group wrote on Instagram.

Brown was a founding member of Cake when it was formed in Sacramento, California, in 1991, playing on the band’s first two albums, “Motorcade of Generosity” and “Fashion Nugget,” Billboard reported.

He wrote “The Distance,” released in 1996 and made it all the way to No. 4 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.

“A lot of times, it would sort of be filtered through Greg’s ear,” vocalist John McCrea said, according to People. “He would do things with his guitar that would sort of square things up rhythmically, in a way that I think was really, really, really smart.”

Brown left the band in 1997 after promoting “Fashion Nugget,” and launched his own brand, Dethray and worked with Weezer’s River Cuomo in the band Homie.

He reunited with Cake, playing on “Bound Away” on the album “Showroom of Compassion,” Billboard reported.

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