Rock guitar great Ronnie Montrose has died at the age of 64.
The veteran star passed away on Saturday (03Mar12) at his home in Millbrae, California after a long battle with prostate cancer.
A post on his website reads: "He'd battled cancer, and staved off old age for long enough. And true to form, he chose his own exit the way he chose his own life. We miss him already, but we're glad to have shared with him while we could."
The rocker landed his first big break when he was invited to work with Van Morrison on his 1971 album Tupelo Honey. He also featured on Van Morrison's Saint Dominic's Preview and scored jobs with the likes of Boz Scaggs, Herbie Hancock and The Neville Brothers before forming his band Montrose.
The group introduced music fans to the vocals of future Van Halen star Sammy Hagar and the rockers continued on when the singer decided to quit to pursue a solo career.
Ronnie Montrose later formed another band, Gamma, in 1979, while also going on to enjoy success as a solo artist.
At the time of his death, Montrose had been preparing to head out on tour again.