Longtime Foghat bassist Craig MacGregor has died at age 68. The classic rock band broke the sad news earlier today (Feb. 9) that MacGregor passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Born in 1949, MacGregor played piano, trumpet and drums growing up before eventually picking up the bass for good. The musician joined Foghat in 1976, first performing on the band’s Night Shift album that same year. MacGregor also notably played on Foghat Live, a concert album which also became the band’s highest selling record, ultimately going double platinum.

MacGregor left Foghat in 1982, coming back for short periods in 1984 and 1986. After nearly two decades away from the rock veterans, MacGregor picked up the bass once again in 2005, remaining in the band until his death.

A tumor was first found on the bassist’s lungs in 2012, but MacGregor kept performing until chemotherapy forced him off the road in 2015. Foghat’s bassist became a health care advocate in his final years, fighting for doctors to give patients full access to their test results, as it’s believed 12 million Americans receive diagnostic errors each year.

Foghat write:

We’d like to send our condolences to the loved ones of Craig MacGregor during this difficult time.

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