Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey passed away on Monday evening.

The band posted a statement on its Facebook page, listing “complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia” as the causes of death. Guitarist Glenn Frey, a founding member of the legendary classic rock band the Eagles, had discolsed his health condition back in November, when the band were forced to pull out of attending the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony because he required major surgery.

The guitarist who started and made what the Eagles really was has left a fans in disbelief. Don Henley on of the band members stated. “I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet.”

A note on the band’s website stated. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder Glenn Frey, in New York City. The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery. Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide.”

The Eagles are scheduled to be honored in the 2016 ceremony.

The Eagles were one of the biggest rock bands of all time and pioneered the easy-going sound of late-’70s L.A. rock. Their 1976 album, Their Greatest Hits, featured classic AM gold tracks like Take It Easy and Take It To the Limit. To date, the collection is the second-highest selling album of all time, according to the RIAA, which has certified it as 29x platinum. (Only Michael Jackson’s Thriller has sold more.)

As a solo artist, Frey was known for tracks like The Heat Is On which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 and appeared in Beverly Hills Cop, and You Belong to the City another No. 2 single. He released his fifth and final solo album, After Hours — a collection of standards including Brian Wilson’s Caroline, No and hits from the ’40s like “Route 66”— in 2012.