The legendary keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and the David Lee Roth Band has passed away. Photo / Getty Images
The legendary keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and the David Lee Roth Band has passed away. Photo / Getty Images
Acclaimed keyboard player Brett Tuggle has died at the age of 70 after battling cancer, Rolling Stone reports.
The musician toured with Fleetwood Mac for 20 years and was one of the founding members of the David Lee Roth band during the 1980s.
Tuggle's death was announced on Twitter yesterdayby fellow rock star Rick Springfield, who posted a series of photos of the two together over the years.
"Our sweet Brett Tuggle made it home tonight. God bless his beautiful spirit," Springfield wrote.
Tuggle worked with a wide range of artists over the course of his decades-long career, including Jimmy Page, David Coverdale, John Kay and Steppenwolf, Styx's Tommy Shaw, Mitch Ryder, and the Detroit Wheels.
The veteran keyboardist also co-wrote the 1988 hit Just Like Paradise with David Lee Roth.
Tuggle is survived by his two children Matt and Michelle.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Matt said, "He was loved by his family so much. His family was with him throughout the entire time of his illness. He was a lovely father. He gave me music in my life."
Tuggle grew up in Denver, Colorado, discovering his love for rock music at a young age, starting to play the keyboard as a teenager.
On touring with Springfield, Tuggle told Rolling Stone, ""I'll never forget walking out on to the stage at this auditorium in Sacramento [for our first show].
Musician Brett Tuggle performs onstage during the Music Strong benefit concert on February 10, 2019 in Thousand Oaks, California. Photo / Getty Images
"The noise was like a jet engine. It was unbelievable. It was kind of scary, it was so loud. It was such hysteria. I'd look down at the audience and these little girls were going ape over this guy, just completely losing it."
He began working with Fleetwood Mac in the 1990s, a role that grew exponentially once keyboardist Christine McVie left.
His partnership with Fleetwood Mac lasted until 2018, when he was dismissed from the band amid rumours Stevie Nicks wanted to get rid of him as he was getting too close to former Fleetwood guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.
Tuggle had joined each of them for solo performances but was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts.
"It came to a point where Stevie said, 'You're going to have to decide,'" Tuggle told Rolling Stone at the time.
"I said, 'You know, Stevie, I love playing with you. I support you. But Lindsey doesn't have a band.' She said, 'I know he needs good people.' She seemed to be okay with it when I went off to do Lindsey's thing. But think in the end, she looked at me a little as abandoning her and going over to Lindsey's camp."
