Greg Brown, Cake founding guitarist who wrote breakout hit ‘The Distance,’ dead at 56

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Greg Brown, one of the original guitarists for the band Cake, has passed away at the age of 56, his former bandmates shared this weekend. He left the Sacramento-based group before their third album was released.

Cake announced on Facebook that Greg Brown has passed away after a short illness. They expressed deep sadness about his passing.

Greg played a vital role in shaping CAKE’s initial sound and growth. He was incredibly creative, and we’ll all greatly miss his musical talent and warm personality. We wish him all the best.

Brown penned Cake’s hit song, “The Distance,” which was the lead single from their second album, “Fashion Nugget.”

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In 2004, The Times described Cake’s music as both a playful critique of rock conventions and a genuine celebration of the genre’s history. Writer Dean Kuipers discussed this in an article about the band’s hit song and the album it appeared on.

The band initially found success with their 1996 single, ‘The Distance,’ a quirky hit that featured a frantic image of a man pushing a car to its limit in a finished race. Their album, ‘Fashion Nugget,’ went platinum thanks to its unique blend of lo-fi guitar, funky rhythms, synth sounds reminiscent of new wave music, and the distinctive trumpet playing of Vince di Fiori. The single’s mysterious quality was further emphasized by the album’s playful touches, such as their cover of Gloria Gaynor’s classic disco song, ‘I Will Survive.’

By the time this story circulated, Brown had already left Cake, having departed in 1997 before they recorded their third album. He then joined forces with Cake bassist Victor Damiani and vocalist-keyboardist Dana Gumbiner to create a new band called Deathray. They released one album on a small independent label in 2000 and followed it up with a self-released album in 2005, working with a rotating group of drummers.

Brown released a solo EP, “The End of Something New,” in 2023.

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The band shared the news of Arnold’s passing on social media, describing him as someone who significantly shaped modern rock by combining the popular sound of post-grunge with heartfelt and honest lyrics.

In a 2021 interview with Billboard, John McCrea reflected on why he left the band Cake. He admitted that when he was 27, he’d described his reasons as stemming from unresolvable personality clashes. Now, at 51, he has a broader perspective. He explained that he was going through a difficult period in his life and ultimately felt that leaving the band was the best choice for his well-being, without going into specific details.

On Saturday, Deathray’s Gumbiner shared news of guitarist Brown’s passing on Facebook, stating he died after a prolonged illness. This differs from what Brown’s former Cake bandmates reported, who said his illness was short. Gumbiner said they last performed together in late 2024.

I can’t express how much Greg’s friendship and musical collaboration meant to me,” Gumbiner shared. “He profoundly changed my life, and the lives of many others. He’d probably scold me for saying this, but from the moment we started playing music together, Greg truly understood me. And everyone could see how amazing he was. I was instantly attracted to him when my band first opened for CAKE at the Cattle Club… He was incredibly energetic and captivating onstage. Seeing the difference between that intense performance and his calm, quiet demeanor offstage, night after night while touring with CAKE, made me fall completely in love.

Gumbiner said he felt he could trust Brown “completely” when it came to songwriting.

I always felt an incredible creative connection with Greg – it was like our minds just clicked. We became really close, but there was always a limit, a certain distance. It’s funny, I considered him one of my best friends, yet I realized I barely knew the real him. He could be so frustratingly private, shutting down when you wanted to get closer, but then unexpectedly open and honest, almost painfully so. We’d hint at things in our songs, write about each other’s lives in a roundabout way, but rarely ever talked directly about what was really going on inside. That was just Greg, or at least a part of the many layers that made him who he was. And honestly, maybe it was because of that complexity, that mystery, that I loved him so much – like a brother.

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Matt Sharp, a founding member of Weezer and its former bassist, described musician Brown as a very shy, kind, and sensitive friend in an Instagram post on Sunday.

A few years ago, Greg traveled from Sacramento to Los Angeles just to express his deep affection and share how much their time together meant to him. He felt it was important to tell me in person. The bassist, who collaborated with Brown on the 2004 album “Matt Sharp,” wrote that it’s heartbreaking to think of her sweet, normally shy friend overcoming his reserve to be so open and vulnerable.

We were two older men, sitting among the redwood trees, feeling deeply grateful for the time we’d spent together. We mostly sat in comfortable silence, listening to the birds and quiet neighborhood sounds. We realized we hadn’t seen each other enough and promised to change that. I loved him more than words could say, but I’m glad I was able to share even a little of that love with him that peaceful afternoon.

Sharp said all of his thoughts were with Brown’s “friends, family and children.”

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2026-02-10 03:01