Cream bassist Jack Bruce died Saturday at the age of 71.
Bruce’s family confirmed the news via his social media sites.
“It is with great sadness that we, Jack’s family, announce the passing of our beloved Jack: husband, father, granddad, and all round legend. The world of music will be a poorer place without him, but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts.”
"He died today at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family," added the bassist’s publicist.
Bruce reportedly died from liver disease, which he was originally diagnosed with in 2003. The rocker underwent a transplant which almost proved to be a fatal at the time: his body initially rejected the new organ but Bruce did eventually recover.
Along with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, Bruce was a member of rock’s first supergroup, Cream.
The band helped introduce a mixture of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock with their 1966 debut, “Fresh Cream.”
The group's third album, 1968’s “Wheels of Fire”, was the world's first platinum-selling double album.
Bruce was the featured voice on Cream classics like “Sunshine Of Your Love”, “White Room” and “I Feel Free.”
Cream disbanded following a farewell concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1968. The group reunited for their 1993 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and then again in 2005 for a series of London shows that were recorded and released that same year and promoted with additional concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
In 2007, Bruce revealed that Cream were originally scheduled to perform at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert headlined by Led Zeppelin.
He explained to a fanzine: “We were going to do this tribute concert for Ahmet when it was to be at the Royal Albert Hall but decided to pass when it was moved to the O2 Arena and seemed to be becoming overly commercial.”
On November 25, Cream will release a career-spanning 6-LP vinyl box set.
“Cream: 1966-1972” features the band’s four studio and two live sets reissued with reproductions of original artwork on 180-gram heavyweight audiophile vinyl.
See also:
VIDEO: Preview documentary on Cream drummer Ginger Baker
Santana & Rob Thomas cover Cream
