Trevor Bolder, a name famous among David Bowie fans the world over, died Tuesday at the age of 62 after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

Bolder was one of the founding members of David Bowie’s band – The Spiders From Mars. He also joined with the band Uriah Heep in the 70s and played with them throughout the rest of his career. In fact, he most recently appeared on the band’s latest album, Into The Wild, in 2011.

Things were looking up for Bolder earlier this year when he underwent surgery to have part of his pancreas removed. The cancer was not completely eliminated, however, and it eventually took his life.

Uriah Heep issued the following statement regarding the loss of their band mate and friend:

“It is with great sadness that Uriah Heep announce the passing of our friend the amazing Trevor Bolder, who has passed away after his long fight with cancer. Trevor was an all time great, one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, and one of the finest and most influential bass players that Britain ever produced. His long time membership of Uriah Heep brought the band’s music, and Trevor’s virtuosity and enthusiasm, to hundreds of thousands of fans across the world. He joined the band in 1976 and, barring one short break, was a fixture until his ill health forced him to take a step back early this year.”

It is doubly unfortunate that Bolder was actually meant to play with Uriah Heep in concert in June. The remaining members will undoubtedly pay a fantastic tribute to him, along with fans, at the concert.

[h/t: Yahoo Music]