Greg Brown, Cake founding guitarist who wrote breakout hit 'The Distance,' dead at 56

"Greg Brown, a founding guitarist of the band Cake who left the Sacramento group before its third album came out, has died, his former bandmates announced over the weekend. He was 56. "It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown's passing after a brief illness," Cake said on its Facebook page. "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.""

""The album, 'Fashion Nugget,' went platinum with its unusual but effective mix of low-fi guitar, funky rhythms, bleepy new wave synths and [trumpet player-percussionist] Vince di Fiori's oddly evocative trumpet parts. The ambiguity of that hit single was unsettled further by more jokey elements on that album - like the cover of Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem, 'I Will Survive.'""

Greg Brown, a founding guitarist of Cake, died at 56 after a brief illness. He wrote the band's breakout single "The Distance," the first single from the second album, Fashion Nugget. Brown left the Sacramento group before the release of the third album. Cake described him as an integral part of the band's early sound whose creative contributions and personal presence will be deeply missed. Dana Gumbiner remembered Brown as "vicious onstage," while Matt Sharp called him his shyest, most gentle and delicate friend. Fashion Nugget went platinum and mixed low-fi guitar, funky rhythms and bleepy new wave synths.

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