Greg Brown, the founding guitarist of Sacramento alternative rock band Cake and the sole songwriter behind their breakthrough hit “The Distance,” died Saturday, February 7, after a brief illness. He was 56 or 57 at the time of his passing.

The band announced Brown’s death on social media Saturday, sharing the news with fans who had followed the group’s distinctive sound since its formation in 1991.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Greg Brown’s passing after a brief illness,” Cake wrote on Instagram alongside a black-and-white photo of their late bandmate.

Cake was formed in Sacramento in August 1991, with Brown on guitar alongside vocalist John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, drummer Frank French, and bassist Shon Meckfessel. The group became known for its deadpan humor, eclectic instrumentation, and unconventional approach to alternative rock. The band’s current lineup includes McCrea, DiFiore on trumpet and keyboards, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Daniel McCallum, and drummer Todd Roper.

Brown played on Cake’s first two albums—1994’s “Motorcade of Generosity” and the 1996 follow-up “Fashion Nugget”—helping craft the sound that would define the band’s early success. His most enduring contribution came with “The Distance,” the song he wrote that became Cake’s signature track and reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.

Despite the song’s massive success, Brown had initially favored a different single. In a 2021 Billboard interview, he recalled McCrea’s immediate enthusiasm for “The Distance.”

Brown said that McCrea embraced the song immediately, though Brown didn’t quite understand the appeal at first. Brown noted that while he liked its sound, he believed “Frank Sinatra” would have been a much stronger single. However, according to Brown, the label chose the track, and it ultimately worked out.

Brown left Cake in 1997 following a tour promoting “Fashion Nugget.” The departure came before the band released its third album, “Prolonging the Magic,” in 1998. Looking back years later, Brown reflected on the decision with greater perspective than he had possessed as a younger man.

“As 51-year-old me, I see a much larger context of what was going on in my life,” Brown explained in 2021. “Rather than get into all of it, I would just say there was a lot of turmoil at the time, and I felt like leaving Cake would be a decision that would be good for my health.”

After departing Cake, Brown formed his own band, Deathray, with fellow ex-Cake member Victor Damiani on bass. The project released two albums in the early 2000s, allowing Brown to continue pursuing his musical vision. He also participated in Homie, a short-lived side project led by Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, playing on “American Girls” from the 1998 “Meet the Deedles” soundtrack. Brown additionally contributed to a solo project by Matt Sharp.

Despite the years apart, Brown maintained a creative connection with his former bandmates. In 2011, he reunited with Cake to contribute guitar to “Bound Away,” a track that appeared on the group’s album “Showroom of Compassion.” The collaboration demonstrated that the chemistry between Brown and McCrea had never truly disappeared.

Roper, who had played in a high school band with Brown, spoke about that enduring connection in 2021. “Greg and John have—still, to this day—a very powerful chemistry together,” Roper said at the time. “I basked in the warmth that came off of that.”

Brown himself reflected on the creative spark he felt when working with McCrea during Cake’s formative years. “When I was working with [McCrea], I really felt the forward momentum,” he told Billboard. “I felt like, ‘Something very creative is happening here.'”

That creative energy helped Cake carve out a unique space in the alternative rock landscape of the 1990s. The band’s integration of country, funk, and spoken-word elements with rock created a sound that stood apart from their contemporaries. Brown’s guitar work provided a crucial foundation for that distinctive approach.

The band did not specify an exact cause of death in their announcement. Brown’s exact age was not provided, though the 2021 Billboard feature placed him at 51 at that time.

Brown’s death marks the loss of a musician whose songwriting helped define an era of alternative rock. “The Distance” remains a staple of 1990s rock radio, its driving rhythm and deadpan delivery instantly recognizable to fans who came of age during that decade. The song’s endurance stands as a testament to Brown’s talent for crafting memorable, unconventional rock music.

As news of his passing spread through the music community, fans and fellow musicians remembered Brown for his contributions to a band that refused to follow conventional formulas. His work with Cake helped prove that alternative rock could embrace humor, eclecticism, and experimentation while still connecting with mainstream audiences.