“Cake Founder and ’90s Rock Icon Greg Brown Dies at 56”

The American rock band Cake has confirmed the heartbreaking death of their founding guitarist and songwriter, who passed away after a short illness.

Greg Brown, who helped establish the Sacramento-based group, died at age 56, according to a statement shared on the band’s official Instagram account.

“Greg was an integral part of Cake’s early sound and development,” the message said. “His creative contributions were immense, and his presence—both musical and personal—will be deeply missed. Godspeed, Greg.”

Cake was formed in Sacramento in 1991, when Greg launched the alt-funk project alongside vocalist John McCrea, trumpeter/keyboardist Vince DiFiore, and Frank French. Gabe Nelson joined the lineup in 1992.

Greg’s distinct guitar work can be heard across the band’s first two albums: Motorcade of Generosity (1994) and the 1996 follow-up, Fashion Nugget.

He also received a solo writing credit for the band’s 1996 single “The Distance,” which climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, Billboard reported.

VICE described “The Distance” as a song built on a relentless, ever-present pulse—its sound pushing forward continuously as the instrumentation surges and pulls back, yet never truly lets go.