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Cake Guitarist Greg Brown, Who Wrote 'The Distance,' Dies
8 Feb
Summary
- Greg Brown, founding guitarist of Cake, has died after a brief illness.
- He co-wrote songs on Cake's first two albums and penned 'The Distance'.
- Brown left Cake after the 'Fashion Nugget' tour but reunited in 2011.
Greg Brown, a foundational guitarist for the alternative rock band Cake, has died. The band announced his passing, citing a brief illness, and acknowledged his significant contributions to their early sound and development. Brown was part of Cake's formation in Sacramento, California, in 1991.
He co-wrote multiple songs on Cake's first two albums, "Motorcade of Generosity" and "Fashion Nugget." Most notably, Brown was the sole writer of the band's 1996 chart-topping single, "The Distance." He expressed surprise at the song's success, initially favoring another track.
Following the tour for "Fashion Nugget," Brown left Cake, citing a desire to focus on his health and pursue other musical projects. He went on to form the band Deathray and collaborated with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer on the side project Homie. Brown later reunited with Cake for their 2011 album "Showroom of Compassion."
