Butch Trucks, a founding member and drummer of the Allman Brothers Band, died Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida, at age 69.
The cause of Trucks’ death is unknown.
"I'm heartbroken," said fellow band member Gregg Allman, Rolling Stone reported. "I've lost another brother and it hurts beyond words. Butch and I knew each other since we were teenagers and we were bandmates for over 45 years. He was a great man and a great drummer and I’m going to miss him forever. Rest In Peace Brother Butch.”
The Allman Brothers Band retired in 2014 after being on again, off again since 1969. Trucks then formed a new band, Butch Trucks and the Freight Train Band, in which his son was a guitarist. The band had shows booked through spring, Rolling Stone reported.
The Allman and Trucks families requested privacy during their time of loss. “Butch will play on in our hearts forever,” they said, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Rolling Stone named Trucks one of the 100 greatest drummers of all time last year along with fellow Allman Brothers Band drummer and fellow founding member “Jaimoe” Johanson.
Although Trucks reported being more tired after performing in recent years, he said that once he got up there and got going, he felt like “Superman” and that “something happens when the music starts, and all that tiredness just goes away,” the LA Times reported.
Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where the Allman Brothers Band was founded. He is survived by his wife, four children, and four grandchildren.